Wang K. Liu Shikun's creative figure in the context of the Chinese piano art development (the second half of the 20th – early 21st century)

The dissertation presents the results of a theoretical generalization of the significance of the artistic figure of the outstanding pianist Liu Shikun in the context of the development of the Chinese piano art of the second half of the 20th – the beginning of the 21st centuries, in particular, his activities in the field of forming a system of private piano education and music pedagogy and composer creativity. The relevance of the study is justified by the need for a scientific study of certain aspects of Chinese piano art, which over the past half century has undergone an intense evolution and very quickly found itself on the artistic bench of world leaders. In recent decades, Chinese pianists have systematically won prestigious international competitions, demonstrating stable and lightning-fast results, which proves the successful establishment and functioning today of such a bright artistic phenomenon as the modern Chinese piano school with its national specificity, history and achievements. One of the pioneers of Chinese piano art, who with his creative activity certainly contributed to its formation, further rapid growth and recognition of the creative achievements of this art on the world artistic horizon, is the outstanding pianist Liu Shikun, who today has received comprehensive recognition as a brilliant performer, composer, teacher, public activist and organizer of a whole network of private musical education centers for pianists in China. And if various aspects of modern Chinese piano art have been repeatedly subjected to musicological discourse, then direct and comprehensive coverage of Liu Shikun’s creative activity and his role in the development of piano art in this country still remains relevant for fundamental research. The scientific novelty of the study is as follows: For the first time, the musical and pedagogical activity and composer's work of the outstanding Chinese pianist Liu Shikun has become the subject of a special musicological study; the educational, organizational and pedagogical activities of Liu Shikun and its influence on the development of piano performance in China in the second half of the 20th - early 21st centuries are highlighted; Liu Shikun’s musical and pedagogical views in the context of modern piano art are investigated and generalized; Liu Shikun’s composer's work is highlighted; A comprehensive analysis of Liu Shikun's main piano works («Battle with the Typhoon» and «Youth Concert») was conducted and the features of their genre-stylistic and compositional organization were revealed. The process of formation and development of piano education and performance in China in the second half of the 20th and early 21st centuries was clarified; the basic musical and pedagogical principles and features of the Chinese piano school of the specified time were identified. The ideas on systematization of facts and integral reconstruction of Liu Shikun’s life and creative path were further developed. Practical significance. The materials of the dissertation significantly expand the path of scientific comprehension of the specifics of the academic musical art of China of the second half of the 20th – the beginning of the 21st century, in particular in the field of piano performance, pedagogy and compositional creativity. It is possible to introduce original works with a bright Chinese national style into the repertoire of student pianists and concert performers («Youth Concert» and «Battle with the Typhoon»), which expands the stylistic boundaries of the modern piano repertoire, and their genre-stylistic analysis carried out in the work significantly contributes to the theoretical comprehension of these works in the process of performing mastery. The musical and pedagogical views and methodological approaches of the outstanding Chinese musician Liu Shikun can be spread beyond China and become a component of modern world piano pedagogy.