In Chinese culture, mastery of a musical instrument has long been considered one of the “Four Arts” (四艺 sìyì) of a scholar, alongside calligraphy, painting, and the board game Go. The act of 演奏 is therefore not just entertainment; it's a display of discipline, cultivation, and emotional expression. It's a respected skill that reflects a person's inner character. A key difference from English is the specificity of the verb. In English, we use “play” for almost everything: “play the piano,” “play a game,” “play a role.” Chinese is much more precise.
This distinction highlights how the Chinese language separates the act of skilled artistic performance (演奏) from general recreation (玩). Using 演奏 shows respect for the art form and the skill of the musician.
演奏 (yǎnzòu) is used in both formal and informal contexts when discussing the act of playing a musical instrument.
The connotation is always neutral to positive, as it implies a level of proficiency. You wouldn't use it to describe a child banging on a piano for the first time; in that case, you might just say they are “玩钢琴” (playing *with* the piano).