Rui Ribeiro joins Yijia Tu on stage at TED 2025 in Vancouver

From April 7 to 11, the city of Vancouver once again became a global hub of ideas and dialogue with the latest edition of the TED Conference. This year’s theme, "Humanity Reimagined", brought together visionary thinkers, scientists, artists and leaders from diverse fields to explore the future of our species in a rapidly evolving digital and technological landscape.

The central question posed by the organisers — "What are humans for?" — echoed throughout five days of talks that celebrated bold ideas and diverse perspectives. Amid discussions often focused on cutting-edge science and innovation, one of the most heartfelt moments came from Chinese-born, London-based artist Yijia Tu, who took to the TED stage alongside Portuguese composer Rui Ribeiro to share a deeply personal reflection on reconnecting with ancestral traditions. Drawing from her own life and family story, Yijia’s moving and sincere talk explored how cultural heritage plays a crucial role in shaping personal identity and nurturing our sense of belonging.

The story of “Lullaby” and the power of oral traditions

One of the conference’s most powerful moments was the live performance of “Lullaby”, a century-old cradle song passed down through generations in Yijia’s family. The origin of the song is moving in itself: first sung by Yijia’s great-grandmother, the melody had all but faded into oblivion — until a sudden and emotional moment when her grandmother, already battling Alzheimer’s disease, recalled it unexpectedly.

That moment sparked something in Yijia. Determined to preserve the memory, she entrusted Rui Ribeiro with crafting a piano arrangement that would honour its emotional depth. The recording — completed shortly after her grandmother’s passing — was recently released on all major digital music platforms, becoming a touching testament to the resilience of oral traditions and to music’s role as a vessel of memory and identity.

Their live performance at TED struck a deep chord with the global audience, receiving one of the warmest ovations of the entire conference. More than just a musical interlude, it served as a powerful reminder of how music can bridge generations, safeguard stories, and speak to the most human part of us all.

"I felt truly honoured to be part of Yijia’s inspiring talk," Rui Ribeiro shared. "I’ve admired her work and her outlook for years. In fact, we’ve been quietly working on an album together for over seven years now, which we hope to complete by next year. We took the stage on the final day of the conference, right after the highly anticipated talk by Sam Altman (OpenAI), in a room where AI was dominating the conversation. But we went up there with a deep conviction that music has an irreplaceable role in preserving what makes us human. And judging by the heartfelt response from the audience, we knew we had fulfilled that mission."

A TED defined by technology, science — and emotion

With more than four decades of history, TED remains one of the world’s premier platforms for sharing ideas that both challenge and inspire, blending science, art, technology and social issues in a uniquely engaging format. This year, discussions surrounding artificial intelligence and digital frontiers took centre stage, with appearances by high-profile figures such as Sam Altman (CEO of OpenAI), Eric Schmidt (former CEO of Google), and evolutionary biologist and author Richard Dawkins.

In this context, the appearance by Yijia Tu and Rui Ribeiro offered a striking counterpoint — a reminder of the importance of balancing innovation with memory, and progress with emotional depth. Their message highlighted the idea that human advancement must always remain grounded in the cultural identity and core values of our communities.

Talks and performances from TED 2025 — including Yijia Tu’s presentation — will be made available online in the coming months via TED’s official YouTube channel and other digital platforms, offering the chance to revisit the most memorable moments or discover them for the first time.