Belt and Road music festival to celebrate cultural diversity

The 2022 Shenzhen Belt and Road International Music Festival will have its opening concert scheduled for Jan. 14, 2023 at the Shenzhen Concert Hall, according to a press conference at the Shenzhen Museum of Contemporary Art and Urban Planning in Futian District yesterday.

A scene at the press conference held yesterday at the Shenzhen Museum of Contemporary Art and Urban Planning in Futian District yesterday. Photos by Liu Xudong

The month-long event will gather musicians from different countries and regions to stage eight concerts, in which the audience will enjoy diverse types of music.

The opening concert will present famous songs from countries and regions along the Belt and Road, while the chamber music concerts and concerts featuring Chinese and foreign songs will select different styles of classic works, according to the School of Music of The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen (CUHK-Shenzhen), the festival’s organizer.

A concert at the 2019 Shenzhen Belt and Road International Music Festival.

Famous Chinese conductor Zhang Guoyong will perform the large-scale symphony “The Axis.” Chinese guzheng player Cheng Haoru’s special concert will show the unique charm of traditional Chinese music.

The stage is also ready for renowned tenor Shi Yijie, soprano Zhang Liping, baritone Liu Songhu, and solo performances by famous pianists from Poland and China, as well as the opera “La traviata.”

The Beijing Chinese Orchestra, Shanghai Opera House choir, Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra, and Lanzhou Concert Hall choir will also perform during the festival.

Yuan Fang, associate dean of the School of Music of CUHK-Shenzhen, said at the conference that the school has specially established an art committee composed of well-known artists from home and abroad to select songs and make concert arrangements.

Yuan Fang speaks at the press conference yesterday.

“The festival will play an essential role in promoting culture and art from different countries; thus it is highly significant,” said Krzysztof Jablonski, academic leader and head of piano and keyboard at the School of Music of CUHK-Shenzhen.

The Polish pianist told Shenzhen Daily that he is looking forward to the opening concert as it will be his debut performance in Shenzhen.

Krzysztof Jablonski speaks at the press conference yesterday.

Edoardo Turbil, a pianist and lecturer at the School of Music of CUHK-Shenzhen, said the festival is a great opportunity for musical exchanges.

“The festival will be a phenomenal event and will gather top-notch artists from around the world. The School of Music of CUHK-Shenzhen is already a hub of fantastic artists, so it’s very exciting for me to participate,” the Italian musician said.

Edoardo Turbil speaks at the press conference yesterday.

The Shenzhen Belt and Road International Music Festival has become a high-level cultural event and a well-known international cultural brand hosted by the Shenzhen Municipal Government since its first edition in 2017.

The previous three editions have invited approximately 2,500 world-class artists in 58 art troupes from over 60 countries and regions to present 72 performances and related activities.