On 21 June local time, a special concert of original symphonic works by 12-year-old composer Carey Tan was held at the Royal College of Music in London. Taking on multiple roles as composer, presenter, pianist and marimba player, Carey joined the London City Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of conductor Olsi Qinami to present four orchestral works composed between the ages of eight and twelve, using music to explore shared human concerns such as nature, war and artificial intelligence.

The programme featured The Explorers, The Cries of War, Four Seasons in Summer Fields and AI Civilisation: Revelations of Rise and Fall. The opening piano concerto depicted humanity’s quest across desert, ocean and Mars; the second symphony confronted the trauma caused by global conflict, conveying a longing for peace through sorrowful musical lines. Four Seasons in Summer Fields, written when Carey was eight, unfolded around the changing seasons of his Oxford school life and the purity of childhood memory. The five-movement symphony AI Civilisation: Revelations of Rise and Fall became the focal point of the concert, examining the dilemmas surrounding human emotion, reason and spiritual freedom amid the expansion of technology.

Photo: Concert scene. Courtesy of London City Philharmonic Orchestra.

Unlike obscure modern symphonic writing, Carey Tan’s works are marked by clear narrative direction, vivid musical imagery, grand orchestral architecture and strong emotional accessibility. Throughout the concert, he personally introduced the creative thinking behind each work, presenting the symphony as a medium for observing the world and reflecting on the age we live in. Moving beyond a simple showcase of youthful talent, the concert engaged with central questions of contemporary life through a compassionate perspective beyond his years, receiving strong recognition from the audience.

Carey Tan’s previous compositions have received more than ten international composition awards, and his works have been performed at major venues including the Golden Hall of the Musikverein in Vienna and the Berlin Philharmonie. This concert marked the first stop of his 2026 summer tour, launching a series of performances across six countries. On 24 July, he will return to his birthplace, Beijing, to perform two major symphonic works at the China National Opera House Theatre, where his brother Kevin Tan will also appear as soloist in a Beethoven piano concerto.