The Belgian musician fusing Western, Chinese instruments for ‘something totally different’

Johan Famaey is considered the only professional yangqin player in Belgium. When he returned to Belgium from Qingdao, China, in 2009, most people in his home country had never heard of the instrument and knew little about Chinese culture. The 47-year-old musician, who is primarily a pianist, performs with a yangqin in Belgium and beyond, showcasing both Western and Eastern music traditions in his compositions. “Whether it’s a piano, whether it’s a yangqin, we all have this in common that we try...