On the evening of August 16^th, a bustling crowd gathered at Xinghai Concert Hall in Guangzhou, with many spectators arriving early to await entry. As it turns out, Animenz was set to perform an anime piano concert here, delighting fans with his mesmerizing musical performance.

Animenz, originally named Michael Guo, is a Chinese-German anime piano composer who was born and raised in Germany. Bridging the realms of classical and contemporary music, he has become renowned for his adaptations of numerous iconic anime theme songs and background music. With his unique creativity and skill, he has garnered the affection of many young enthusiasts, affectionately referred to by fans as “Uncle A”. His fanbase extends far and wide, amassing millions of followers on international video-sharing platforms. Notably, on the prominent Chinese video barrage website Bilibili, his uploaded works have amassed a staggering 180 million views and his subscriber count exceeds 2.28 million.

During the evening’s performance, melodies from classic anime series such as Suzume, Your Name, Violet Evergarden, and Brave Heart were played one by one, igniting the enthusiasm of the live audience.

“For this performance, I chose many melodies that are familiar to a lot of people. Some of the pieces are lively, while others are slower, making it more enjoyable for everyone to listen. This is very important,” said Animenz.

Currently, Animenz has adapted over 130 anime piano pieces, showcasing a unique style of his own. He once expressed, “I hope to bridge the gaps between anime and piano so that more young people can come to understand and love the realm of classical music because of me.”

Before taking the stage to perform, Animenz told a reporter from Yangcheng Evening News that he has been studying classical music since childhood and has always enjoyed watching anime. When he hears anime music, he can immediately play it on the piano. In 2012, at the young age of 21, he uploaded his own adaptation of the opening theme song My Dearest from the Japanese anime Guilty Crown on the Internet, which quickly gained popularity among music and anime enthusiasts.

Expressing his fervor for transforming anime music into captivating piano compositions, Animenz said, “Classical music is renowned for its exquisite skill and beauty, and I seamlessly infuse this essence into contemporary melodies, breathing life into my anime-inspired piano arrangements. The fusion of these two artistic dimensions holds the potential to birth an entirely novel genre of music. My heartfelt aspiration is for these creations to mature into a fresh incarnation of classical music in the days to come.”

When adapting anime music, Animenz adheres to the principle that every anime piano composition should have a strong creative concept and tell a compelling story, leaving a profound and lasting impression on the audience. During the process of adaptation and creation, he fully immerses himself and often discards drafts that do not meet his standards. He emphasized the importance of balance and the seamless transition between sections.

“In the future, I will continue to adapt anime songs that I like,” Animenz said.

人气动漫钢琴作曲家Animenz在广州奏响音乐会

8月16日晚，广州星海音乐厅的人潮攒动，许多观众早早来到场馆等候入场。原来，Animenz要在这里为粉丝们带来一场动漫钢琴音乐会。

Animenz原名郭迈克，是一名在德国出生和长大，横跨古典与现代的华裔动漫钢琴作曲家。他的改编曲目覆盖了众多经典动漫的主题曲和背景音乐，作品以其独特的创意和技巧，获得了许多年轻人的喜爱，粉丝们都喜欢称他为“A叔”。他不仅在国外视频网站拥有数百万的粉丝关注，截至目前，在国内知名的视频弹幕网站B站，他上传的作品已拥有1.8亿的点击率，订阅人数超过228万。

在当晚的演出中，来自《铃芽之旅》《你的名字》《紫罗兰永恒花园》《数码宝贝》等经典动漫的曲目一一奏响，点燃现场观众的热情。

“这次演出我选择了很多人都认识的曲子，有些曲子很快，有些很慢，让大家听起来更舒服，这很重要。”Animenz说。

目前，Animenz已改编了超过130首动漫钢琴曲，风格独树一帜。他曾说：“我希望自己是一座桥梁，能够连接动漫和钢琴这两种艺术形式，从而让更多的年轻人通过我，去理解、去热爱古典音乐的世界。”

登台演奏之前，Animenz告诉羊城晚报记者，他自小学古典音乐，也从小就很喜欢看动漫，当他听到动漫音乐的时候，马上就可以把它弹出来。2012年，年仅21岁的他，将自己改编的日本动漫《罪恶王冠》片头曲《My dearest》放上网络，一时间引起众多音乐和动漫爱好者的喜爱。

谈及为什么热衷将动漫音乐改编成钢琴曲，Animenz说：“古典音乐富有技巧和美感，我把这种美学放到现代的音乐，也就是动漫钢琴曲中。当两者融为一体，可以创造出一种新的音乐类型。我很希望这些作品在未来能成为新的古典音乐。”

在改编动漫音乐时，Animenz坚持每一首动漫钢琴曲都要有一个好的创意，一定要讲一个故事，给听众带来深刻、持续的印象。在改编创作间，他总是一股脑扎进去，经常扔掉废稿。“一定要平衡，要注重桥段的过渡。”

“接下来，我还会继续改编自己喜欢的动漫歌曲。”Animenz说。

文｜羊城晚报全媒体记者 陈晓楠 实习生 谢珂婧
译｜林佳岱、陈萱
图｜主办方提供
责编 | 王楠
校对 | 桂晴