Violinist Ray Chen uses K-pop to open doors to classical music

Award-winning violinist Ray Chen says K-pop covers and short-form social media videos are turning casual scrollers into classical music listeners, ahead of his Seoul recital June 4.

The effort reflects a broader push by classical performers to reach audiences who have never set foot in a concert hall, as algorithms on major social platforms increasingly funnel new listeners toward the genre.

Ray Chen, 37, a Taiwanese Australian violinist with more than 2 million social media followers, has spent years posting videos of classical music alongside popular genres — including K-pop — to attract listeners who would otherwise never enter a concert hall, the Korea Times reported.

"Even if one is not a concertgoer, a familiar tune played in a way unheard before can make one stop scrolling and pay attention," Chen told Hankook Ilbo. "In that moment of surprise — 'K-pop on the violin?' — a door opens."

A recent video shows Chen performing "Soda Pop," a track from the animated film "KPop Demon Hunters," on violin. He said algorithms amplify the effect: once a viewer pauses for one clip, platforms serve more, pulling them deeper. "Short-form content can show hundreds of thousands within seconds that classical music is not something old and confined to museums, but something alive and breathing," he said, according to the Korea Times.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Chen co-founded Tonic, a music platform where performers share practice sessions and behind-the-scenes content — an extension of his mission to lower barriers to the concert hall. He has since performed with the New York Philharmonic and London Philharmonic Orchestra.

Chen started violin at age 4 and was performing on international stages by age 8. A graduate of the Curtis Institute, he won the Yehudi Menuhin International Competition in 2008 and the Queen Elisabeth Competition in 2009. "I realized that the violin could be a key to opening new worlds," he said. "This became my purpose in life."

"Even if I were born again, I would choose a life with music as a violinist," Chen told Hankook Ilbo. "Through a wide range of experiences, I've come to realize that living as an artist is one of the greatest joys and privileges in life." Chen performs at Lotte Concert Hall in Seoul on June 4.