The recording of Mozart's Piano Concertos nos. 20 and 24 is intended as a contrasting twin project to the first recording of nos. 15 and 21 released on the Solo Musica label in 2024. The two recordings are like the “yin” and the “yang”, the moon and the sun, demonstrating the multifaceted nature of Mozart’s creativity. As a pianist, Zhen Chen wants to demonstrate his ability to develop and perform works of different artistic modes. Furthermore, since the pianist and the orchestra remain the same in the two recordings and only the baton has been changed – from the hand of the Austrian conductor Thomas Rösner to the French conductor Paul Meyer – these two recordings are an interesting pair, allowing listeners to savour the difference in the artistic direction of the two conductors. Nos. 15 and 21 are, in his opinion, the quintessential Mozart piano concertos in major key.

They are gleeful, humorous, and uplifting, while nos. 20 and 24 are the rare gems of Mozart’s multi-movement piano works in minor keys. Out of a total of 27, he composed only two piano concertos in minor keys. They are among the few works by Mozart dominated by an unsettling and gloomy sense.