Composer and music producer Yu-Peng Chen's new classical album The Poem of Life, his first album with Deutsche Grammophon, was released worldwide on September 25, 2026. It is available digitally, on CD, and on vinyl, with the vinyl edition offered in both black vinyl and picture disc versions.

With this album, Yu-Peng Chen turns to a more personal project: a symphonic suite for piano and orchestra in twelve movements, centered on reflection, expression, and storytelling, that explores the different stages of life. The Poem of Life marks a new direction in his work, carrying the narrative craft he has developed in game music into a more intimate form of classical expression written for the concert hall.

This album fulfills a small dream I have held for many years. Ever since I graduated from university, I have wanted to write my own works for piano and orchestra. In The Poem of Life, I try to use music to portray a journey through life. Even without knowing the story behind the music, listeners can follow the melodies and feel the flow of emotion, the passage of time, and the rise and fall of life's different stages. I hope this album can become a "vessel" for people's emotions, inviting listeners to pause, look back, and reconnect with their own life stories.

— Yu-Peng Chen

On July 3, the first two singles from the album, "Overture: The Flavors of Life" and "Waltz of the Fireflies," were released. As the album's opening piece, "Overture: The Flavors of Life" carries Yu-Peng Chen's reflections on life and sets out on the album's musical journey through growth, memory, farewell, and hope. "Waltz of the Fireflies" is a gift from Yu-Peng Chen to his daughter. Inspired by the moments he has shared with her as she grows up, it captures the purest, brightest, and happiest days of childhood.

On July 17, the third single, "Wordless Farewell," was released. The piece portrays the unspeakable grief and helplessness of facing the loss of a loved one for the first time. Violin and cello lines intertwine and answer one another like a silent dialogue across a farewell, turning reluctance, longing, and helplessness into a confession without words.

On August 21, the fourth single, "Under the Moonlight," was released, giving voice to homesickness and the many thoughts it brings. The most distinctly Chinese-flavored piece on the album, it is built on a Western orchestral foundation enriched with traditional Chinese instruments, including guzheng, pipa, erhu, and dizi, and features the sheng, a Chinese reed instrument with a long history. Eastern and Western musical languages blend naturally, bringing a deep and distinctive Chinese character to a modern orchestral sound.

On September 25, the album's focus track, "Love in First Bloom," was released together with its official music video. The piece is Yu-Peng Chen's tribute to his favorite classical composer, Sergei Rachmaninoff, and a piano concerto entirely his own, free from the constraints of traditional form.

It captures the shy, passionate, and indescribable feelings of first love. Broad, lyrical melodies unfold as piano and orchestra intertwine and answer one another, telling the story of a first heartbeat with all its excitement, romance, and emotional intensity.

The titles of the movements themselves trace this journey through life: from the beginnings of life and childhood in "First Breath" and "Waltz of the Fireflies," to growth and fulfillment in "A Journey Forged Through Fire" and "Under the Moonlight," and on to the farewells, acceptance, and questions explored in "Wordless Farewell," "Where Longing Ends," "The Unfinished Poem," and "Life, Like a Dream."

The album was recorded by the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra under conductor Liang Zhang at the Shanghai Philharmonic Concert Hall. Yu-Peng Chen performs as piano soloist and is joined by young pianist Yixuan Wei on several two-piano movements. Bringing together the Western orchestral tradition and the expressive power of Chinese music, the work stands as a vivid cultural statement.

The seventh movement, "Under the Moonlight," features outstanding Chinese instrumentalists Jiajun Ma, Wenqing Shi, Junkan Wang, Chunxu Li, and Qianqian He on guzheng, erhu, pipa, dizi, and sheng. The tenth movement, "Where Longing Ends," features renowned Chinese classical singers Yi Li and Zhengzhong Zhou, whose solemn and powerful voices convey the work's profound humanistic depth, uniting Eastern philosophy with the language of the symphony and further revealing the roots of Yu-Peng Chen's art in Chinese culture. Internationally acclaimed violinist Daniel Hope, mandolinist Avi Avital, and rising cellist Philipp Schupelius also appear as guest artists, adding new colors to the project.

A deep contemplation of the life experiences all people share, The Poem of Life traces an emotional and spiritual arc from birth to farewell. Through lyrical melodies and rich orchestration, Yu-Peng Chen evokes the wonder of childhood, the trials of adulthood, and the serenity of later years, all the way to life's final moments. As he has said in interviews, he hopes the album will become a "vessel" for human emotion, inviting listeners to pause, look back, and reconnect with their own life stories.

With The Poem of Life, Yu-Peng Chen presents an intimate and richly narrative work that showcases his distinctive gift for storytelling through music. Reaching across cultures, genres, and audiences, the album invites listeners on a shared journey through life, defined by beauty, reflection, and the enduring power of music.

The Poem of Life is now available worldwide on CD and vinyl, released by Deutsche Grammophon (DG). For purchase details, please visit the DG Store and DG's official channels.

Credits

The Poem of Life
Production: Yu-Peng Chen Music Studio
Release: Exclusively licensed by Yu-Peng Chen Music Studio to Deutsche Grammophon
Composer / Arranger / Music Producer / Piano I: Yu-Peng Chen
Conductor: Liang Zhang
Orchestra: Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra
Solo Violin: Daniel Hope
Mandolin: Avi Avital
Piano II: Yixuan Wei
Pipa: Wenqing Shi
Erhu: Jiajun Ma
Qudi: Junkan Wang
Sheng: Chunxu Li
Guzheng: Qianqian He
Soprano: Yi Li
Baritone: Zhengzhong Zhou
Recording: Jiawei Mo / Zach Huang / Junyu Pan / Yukai / Jay Chan / Wolfgang Schiefermair
Mixing & Mastering: Zach Huang @ 52Hz Studio
Studios: Shanghai Philharmonic Concert Hall / 52Hz Studio / Teldex Studio Berlin / Yu-Peng Music Studio

Search for The Poem of Life on your favorite music platform, or listen on Spotify.