Oxford Music Prodigy Takes Berlin: 12-Year-Old Composer Carey Tan Premieres The Explorers at the Berlin Philharmonie
Berlin, 2 November 2025 — At just twelve years old, Carey Tan from Oxford stepped onto one of the world’s most revered stages and delivered a performance that left Berlin breathless. With poise beyond his years and music that stirred the soul, Carey premiered his award-winning piano concerto The Explorers at the Berlin Philharmonie Main Hall, earning thunderous applause and three curtain calls.
The concert was part of the Rising Stars Piano-Concerto World Tour, a showcase of emerging international talent. Yet Carey’s appearance felt less like a debut and more like the arrival of a fully formed artist. Performing alongside the Berliner Symphoniker under the baton of Maestro Martin Braun, Carey took on the dual role of composer and piano soloist—an extraordinary feat for any musician, let alone one still in primary school.
His three-movement concerto—Pacific Diver, Sahara Runner, and Mars Explorer—is a symphonic journey through the extremes of human exploration. From the deep sea’s mysterious pull to the blistering beauty of desert sands and the vast silence of outer space, Carey’s music blends orchestral richness with cinematic scope. Each movement pulses with curiosity, courage, and wonder.
“I wrote it thinking about what it means to explore,” Carey shared backstage, cheeks still flushed from the ovation. “Not just places, but feelings—the fear, the excitement, the joy of going somewhere new.”
The Explorers recently earned Carey the “Promising Young Talent” Prize at the Vienna Classical Music Academy’s 2025 International Composition Competition, and Berlin marked its most prestigious performance to date. More than 2,000 concertgoers filled the hall—drawn by curiosity, and leaving in awe. From the first haunting chord to the final triumphant flourish, Carey held the audience spellbound.
Conductor Martin Braun, who has worked with some of Europe’s leading soloists, was visibly moved. “Carey’s music speaks with a clarity and emotional honesty that’s rare at any age,” he said. “He doesn’t just compose—he communicates.”
Critics were unanimous in their praise. “It’s not just impressive for a 12-year-old,” one reviewer wrote. “It’s impressive, full stop.”
Berlin followed Carey’s acclaimed summer performances at Romania’s Arad Philharmonic Hall and Vienna’s Golden Hall. With upcoming concerts on major world stages, his next symphonies—exploring profound human themes such as war and peace and artificial intelligence versus humanity—promise to challenge and inspire in equal measure.
Carey’s Symphony No. 2, The Cries of War, delves into the deepest contrasts of human experience—the sorrow and suffering of conflict, the radiant joy of peace, and a universal call for harmony. The work has been adopted as the official theme of the Vienna International Youth Arts Foundation’s 2026 Charity Concert, an event dedicated to raising funds for children in war-torn regions. Its world premiere, scheduled for August 2026 at Vienna’s Golden Hall, marks yet another milestone in Carey’s rapidly ascending career.
With The Explorers already becoming a landmark in the repertoire of young composers, Carey Tan is emerging as one of the brightest voices of his generation—a name destined for the global stage.
