press
Chronicle on WCVB Channel 5
New England’s award winning show, aired on September 6th 2019
The Boston Globe
波士頓環球報
“Rayna Yun Chou was a student at the New England Conservatory of Music when the Celebrity Series of Boston launched its “street pianos” project in 2013. To mark its 75th anniversary, the organization wanted to begin presenting free outdoor public performances, a far cry from its institutional classical origins.
…She debuted “One Minute of Us,” a pop-up event in which a single listener could experience one minute of solo performance by a musician. Working inside a glass-walled shed, she and the musicians she recruited wondered whether anyone would take them up on the offer.”
HUFFINGTON POST
紐約赫芬頓郵報
" Their reactions, questions, and even their tears brought hope back into our often tired hearts. Maybe we worried too much and we underestimated ourselves and our music; that we are still needed even if we don’t feel good enough. There was no applause or bravo after we played, because most of them had never been to a concert. They did not know the ‘correct reaction’ after a performance, so all of them said “thank you,” and some visitors even asked to touch our hands out of admiration. Their thanks were simple and their nods of admiration were subtle, but they gave us so much courage—not one of us could have possibly dreamed of this feeling... Everyone had doubts, yet in those glass rooms, out of everyone’s comfort zones, we created so many “one-minutes” that will last for eternity. "
Boston globe
波士頓環球報
“…The installations will also include an area for people to share their experiences in person and online, learn about the project, and interact with musical instruments, the organization said. The idea came from New England Conservatory graduate and violist Rayna Yun Chou, who in 2016 produced a similar project in her hometown of Taichung City, Taiwan, the organization said. Chou had talked with fellow musicians who felt isolated from their audiences. She was also concerned classical music was becoming inaccessible to younger and diverse audiences because it tends to be played in high-priced venues…”
HUB Today
THE HARVARD CRIMSON
哈佛緋紅報 Portrait of an Artist
“Rayna Yun Chou, a classically trained violist, is partnering with Celebrity Series of Boston to produce Concert for One, a series of minute-long concerts that bring together one musician and one listener for an intimate performance. The public program will take place Sept. 20 to 29 in the Harvard Science Center Plaza and Chin Park on the Rose Kennedy Greenway in Boston. Chou first staged Concert for One in Taichung City, Taiwan, in an effort to bridge the divide between classical musicians and everyday listeners, and the project attracted thousands of listeners.”
WBGH
Open Studio with Jared Bowen
Musician Rayna Yun Chou discusses her project, “Concert for One.” A free personal concert for one where individual listeners and solo musicians can connect to the experience in a whole new way.
WBUR
2019 In Boston Arts: A Year Of Convening — “Violist Rayna Yun Chou and Celebrity Series of Boston held 5,000 performances with 58 musicians who played one minute of a song for strangers. Dubbed "Concert For One," the musician and the stranger sat face-to-face inside of small shipping containers set up in Chinatown and Cambridge. "Both people are vulnerable, the openness really moves you,” Yun Chou told us about the intimate performances during which strangers convened.”
WGBH & NPR
WBUR
“…Boston-based violist Rayna Yun Chou designed it to shrink the impersonal experience of performing to an audience in a concert hall to something more intimate.”
USNews
“The concerts are the brain child of violist, Rayna Yun Chou, who staged similar performances in her native Taiwan in 2016 as way to make classical music more accessible. She's one of nearly 60 musicians playing from noon to 6 p.m. daily through Sept. 29, including pianists, violinists, cellists, clarinetists, a percussionist, and at least one solo vocalist.”
KMFA 89.5
“Imagine a musician playing a piece just for you. Celebrity Series Boston made that dream come true with their program Concert For One. One musician, one listener, one minute. In this extended version of Staccato hear how some people found it to be a near-spiritual experience.”
Curbed Boston
“…The idea for the concerts sprang from Rayna Yun Chou, a violist who graduated from the New England Conservatory and who staged a similar run in her hometown in Taiwan. According to the Globe, fellow musicians had told her they felt increasingly isolated from their audiences. Such shows are a way around that…”
NEW ENGLAND CONSERVATORY
Rayna Yun Chou: EM Grantee / Music, Distance, and One Minute of Just Us
"...The exhibition was shorter than a concerto and more impactful than a street tune, the multimedia part of the exhibition had many things to offer for the architecture and visual art admirers. It drew the attention and awareness with stronger appeal to reach a wider audience. Rayna knew the project wouldn’t change societal values over night, but she aimed to create an unforgettable classical music moment in the life of a spectator. One that facilitated the creation of a conversation which would in turn bring Taiwanese musicians and the public closer. Rayna used photography, writing, film, and cello music to build a very inspirational environment for her viewers in the middle of a busy urban landscape...."
中央社
「在你我那一分鐘的社會實驗中，周昀將許多外在因素剔除，觀眾不用付錢聆聽古典樂，音樂家也不為拿錢而演出，「把天秤擺正了，我得到的結果是演奏家覺得真的可以分享自己喜歡的音樂，而觀眾也因為音樂家這一分鐘的分享，有了感動與平靜。
周昀說，那一分鐘，對聽的人來說，時間變慢了，人變快樂了，「人生回想起來，只會記得一些特別的片刻，音樂家不就是為了替人們創造那些特別時刻而存在嗎？」
A DAY MAGAZINE
把耳朵借給古典樂一分鐘：旅美音樂家周昀於台中草悟道打造「個人音樂會」
" ... 兩幢引人注目的玻璃屋就佇立在假日市集的中心，在日光的輕吻之下像寶石般閃耀，完美契合周昀渴望將古典樂帶進人群裡的初衷，造訪市集的各路人潮成為絕佳的體驗者。兩幢玻璃屋分別收藏著靜態陳列以及互動式的兩種體驗，用不同的感官刺激訴說著同一件事：古典樂，其實可以離你很近很近 ... 靜態展玻璃屋彷彿一間豢養著靈感的溫室，鋼骨與玻璃構成的建物，讓台中頗負盛名的溫暖冬陽在空間內自由流轉，人們與古典樂交匯時的感動與情緒，更在絕佳的通透性之下向眾人攤開 ... 從玻璃屋中魚貫走出的聽眾們，形容這樣的體驗像是聽了一場「屬於自己的音樂會」，有些人表達十分欣賞與音樂家貼近的距離，感官更因為靠近而變得更加細膩。參與演出的小提琴家劉瀟凡也分享了自己在演出過程中的感覺，他形容在這個小空間當中，演奏曲目時他的專注力從曲目的技巧轉移至與聽眾共同的情緒交流，近距離地觀察到聽眾被音樂感動的神情，也成為他在演奏時前所未有的一種鼓勵... "
中央社 x Yahoo news x sina
如何讓一般人找到聽古典樂的樂趣，旅美中提琴家周昀策劃了「在黑暗中聽見光（Hear the Light）」沉浸式音樂特展，希望讓來看展的民眾無預期感受古典樂的美好。
周昀接受中央社專訪時表示，疫情陰影持續籠罩全世界，包括美國很多樂團都已經無法演出，「我希望做一點什麼，告訴大家，古典音樂雖然無法改善環境，但卻能撫慰動盪社會中，人們內心深處的黑暗，也可以給我們更多勇氣」…
MUZIK ONLINE
「每天，都可以是遇到古典樂的一天。」打從知道這個展覽，看見這一句話，與 MUZIK 的使命不謀而合。
"... 這是由新英格蘭音樂院與聖地牙哥樂團2016年合作評選的創業獎得主「Music, distance, and one minute of us」一個結合古典音樂、視覺藝術和建築的展覽 ... 在黑色的玻璃小屋裡，你可以坐在椅子上，享受由素不相識的音樂家，活躍於世界各地之後在你的面前，為你演奏專屬的一分鐘感人震撼的音樂，創造在你生命中特別的一分鐘 ... 另一間透明的玻璃屋裡，則有文字、照片、影片和樂器的各項展示，透過影像和文字探討古典音樂和大眾的距離，同時更提供樂器，開放給來訪的所有受訪者嘗試，讓民眾親自感受拿著樂器的體驗 ... 在各式充滿商業化聖誕氣息、強迫消費的跨年氛圍下，我們終於發現了一個屬於音樂與自己的展覽，提供各位樂友呼吸的地方 ... "
自由時報
音樂就是最好的語言，是很美好的體驗
“ ... 音樂會自下午1點起，由擅長鋼琴、小提琴等樂器的音樂家輪番上陣，玻璃屋外排了不少人等著聽1分鐘音樂會，張姓民眾說，很新奇的聽音樂會經驗，雖僅短短1分鐘，卻是令人感覺深刻 ... "
聯合新聞網
這一分鐘只屬於音樂家和聽眾
” ... 旅美中提琴家周昀策畫這場前所未有的展演活動，剛獲美國知名的新英格蘭音樂院創業獎，即決定回到家鄉台中的草悟道舉辦這場展演活動，回饋孕育她成長的故鄉 ... 10位年輕的美國、台灣音樂家齊聚，吸引不少人大排長龍報名體驗，有聽眾說，這是場豪華耶誕音樂會，自己獨享。也有人覺第一次與演奏者坐這麼近， 四目交接，剛開始不太自在，但專注在音樂中，又有無比喜悅 ... 。
平傳媒
旅美中提琴家周昀 拉近人與音樂的距離
“ ... 安靜地享受古典音樂帶來的永恆與美好，體驗過的民眾直呼太震撼！... 活動由剛獲得美國新英格蘭音樂院創業奬的學生周昀策畫，回饋她成長的家鄉。24、25日連續兩天邀集小提琴、大提琴、鋼琴家與作曲家等10位音樂家於勤美草悟道臨時設置的黑色玻璃屋，每次邀請一位現場民眾入玻璃屋，近距離為其演奏一分鐘的曲目，讓參與者感受到這一分鐘只屬於音樂家和我 ...此外，現場也設置在另一間完全透明的玻璃屋，透過文字、照片、影片和樂器的展示，結合影像搭配三種不同音樂，讓大家體驗古典音樂蘊涵的不同情緒，也提供樂器讓觀眾現場彈奏嘗試，感受拿著樂器的新鮮體驗 ... "
DECOmyplace
台中的朋友！跨年可以到草悟道的古典音樂玻璃屋逛逛
" 一間為全玻璃，作為靜態展覽屋，另一間是烤漆黑玻璃，裡面有音樂家的現場演出，展期只到 2017.1. 3 / 台中草悟道廣場一樓 "