Stereotypes in Classical Music: How Asian Musicians are Perceived
While most signs point toward the decline of Western art music in Europe and the United States, the participation of Asians and Asian Americans is bringing new life and energy to classical music. As Mina Yang in her paper, “East Meets West in the Concert Hall: Classical Music, Imperialism, and Asian Identity” describes it:
Even as critics in the West express doubt over the continuing vitality of classical music in the face of shrinking orchestra budgets, aging and dwindling audiences, and sinking record sales, Asian and Asian Americans have invaded the conservatory and the concert hall in numbers that are impossible to ignore.
Statistics show that Asians and Asian Americans now make up thirty to fifty percent of the student body at leading music schools and departments, with these percentages often higher at the pre-college level.
However, the strong presence of Asians in classical music has resulted in certain portrayals of those musicians that are not always positive. Jenni Johanna Leppanen's master's thesis, "The Unspoken Pressure of Tradition," offers a critical analysis of how East Asian classical musicians are represented in prominent European classical music magazines. Her research reveals four recurring archetypes: the Invader, the Asian, the Virtuoso, and the Bridge Builder, each carrying its own set of implications.
Leppanen's analysis reveals that the "Invader” archetype often employs warlike language to describe the rise of Asian classical music, creating a sense of threat. Phrases like "the Chinese Musical Explosion," "the China Boom of Classical Music," and "Revolution in the East" (Leppanen, 65) exemplify this trend. Paradoxically, this portrayal often coexists with a tendency to infantilize Asian musicians, labeling them as child prodigies even in adulthood, thus diminishing their seriousness and mature artistry.
The second archetype, "the Asian," reduces individual artists to representatives of their entire nation of origin. This labeling, particularly prevalent in competition coverage, disregards the nuances of an artist's background, including where they lived, grew up, or received their musical training. It erases individuality and reinforces a monolithic view of Asian identity.
The "Virtuoso" archetype focuses on technical prowess, often at the expense of artistic depth. Asian performers are frequently described as possessing "rank virtuosity," implying technical perfection devoid of soulful interpretation. This stereotype can lead to talented musicians being dismissed as simply fitting the mold of the "typical Asian performer," overlooking their unique artistic contributions.
Finally, the "Bridge Builder" represents a more positive portrayal. This archetype acknowledges the cross-cultural experiences of Asian musicians and celebrates their role in broadening access to classical music. Leppanen highlights an article about composer Unsuk Chin, noting that it "suggests that Unsuk Chin is a composer who does not need geographical attributes to define her profession" (Leppanen, 86). This suggests a move away from identifying her through ethnicity and towards recognizing individual talent.
Leppanen's work poses a couple of interesting questions for me:
Are there stereotypes of similar strength/prominence associated with performers of other cultures? Leppanen's research focuses specifically on East Asian musicians. Investigating how performers from other cultural backgrounds are represented in Western media could reveal whether similar stereotypes exist and how they might differ. Are there comparable archetypes for Black classical musicians, for example? Or for musicians from Latin America?
Was it always the writer’s intention to portray the Asian performer under one of these archetypes? It's unlikely that writers consciously set out to pigeonhole musicians into these categories. However, unconscious biases and ingrained cultural assumptions can influence language and perpetuate stereotypes.
Are Asian musicians aware of these stereotypes and does it affect their performance? For example, would a musician attempt to play a piece overdramatically to try to avoid the stereotypes of being a virtuoso.
Do these types of stereotypes trickle down to amateur and youth levels?
