Having attended three concerts during my vacation in Japan, I concluded that “a high quality concert is the result of a highly quality audience.”  Whether it was the Japanese Noh Opera, a harpsichord concert, or the National Moscow Choir, before each performance, the audiences in Japan entered the concert hall in an orderly fashion, and sat quietly waiting for the performance to begin.  They applauded with a standing ovation until the performers left the stage.  I enjoyed the performances but was even more impressed by the exquisite manners of the Japanese audiences.

While I was showing my appreciation, a teacher who attended the concert with me told me that, given the same performers and the same program, the quality of the audience could have an impact on the quality of the performance.  I absolutely agree.

The refinement of the audiences is not in direct proportio to the level of their education, nor is it related to the wealth they possess.  Refined audiences understand “respect”.  They respect the performers, respect the directors and the conductors, and respect the rights of their fellow concert-goers.  The state of mind of the audience is felt by the performers on stage, and the performers instinctively thrive on it.  This is a cycle of goodwill, generating one great performance after another.

As for concerts in China, I saw a violinist wearing flip flops on stage, and the head violinist of a renowned symphony orchestra looking around into the audience during performance.  Why did they show such disrespect?  I believe it has a lot to do with the audience.  There were people arriving late, also those who chatted throughout the performance, not to mention those who got up early to leave.  It’s the mutual disrespect that turned even the best program into a poor performance.

I once told my students that those on stage are not the only performers in a concert.  Those sitting in the audience are also performers.  The concentration of the audiences motivates the performers on stage and intensifies their passion to excel, to give a flawless performance.

I sincerely hope that I will not have to go overseas to attend a high quality concert.  Furthermore, I hope that performers from other countries will feel honored and proud to come to perform in China.  Let each of us start by striving to be the highest quality audiences.