Methodological issues in studying the specific features of contemporary Chinese concert life

The author considers the contradiction between the intensity with which theorists use the concept of "concert life" and the change in its content due to the active development of the phenomenon described by it. The aim of the study is to update the methodological tools for examining the specific features of contemporary Chinese concert life. The object of the research is the modern interdisciplinary theoretical discourse of cultural scholars and musicologists regarding the place of concert life in musical culture, while the subject is the concept of "concert life" as it pertains to the specifics of contemporary concert life in China. The relevance of the chosen topic is determined by the intensive development of modern Chinese concert life in the first decades of the 21st century, which is expanding its role not only in the culture of China but also in the world. At the same time, the concept of "concert life" is so broad that a complete understanding requires an update of the theoretical tools. The article is the result of a review of thematic scientific literature. The work employs methods of description, comparison, typology, and generalization. In identifying relevant perspectives for the specific study of modern Chinese concert life, three theories of musical genre were culturally attributed to three different systems of modality-stylistic organization of musical works. The scientific novelty of the results is ensured by the explication of advanced methodology from Russian cultural studies into the realm of musicology. Based on the principle of dialectical unity of structure and content in concert life, a connection between its content and the category of musical genre was established. Moreover, the specifics of modern Chinese concert life require the application of at least three theories of musical genre to its description. A cultural attribution of the heuristic potential of the theory of musical culture and three different concepts of musical genre was conducted, allowing for the establishment of the limits of relevance of each theory for studying the specific features of contemporary Chinese concert life. The concept of "concert life," which describes a complex object area, can remain dynamic. Within the frameworks of the sociocultural and epistemological frontiers, conceptual drift is not an obstacle to the comprehensive study of this complex phenomenon.