The School of Music Wraps up Global Exchange Tour
The Vienna Konzerthaus in Austria was filled with continuous applause as the local audience was deeply moved by the superb performance of a group of musicians from Shenzhen on the evening of May 31. Musicians from the School of Music, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen captivated the audience with their unique Oriental melodies, immersing everyone in a series of fresh and diverse tunes.
A scene of the May 31 concert at the Vienna Konzerthaus in Austria.
At the performance, musicians from the school, under the baton of conductor Yong-yan HU, performed new works by eight composers including Xiaogang YE, Ping JIN, Ping GAO, Zhuosheng JIN, Pengfei YU, Hang ZOU, Xinyi WU and Zi'ao LI. The music ranged from high-spirited to gentle and smooth, with piano and strings interweaving to create silk-like musical lines. These pieces, showcasing Chinese styles and culture, captivated the audience, immersing them completely.
Conductor Yong-yan HU and the musicians from the School of Music, CUHK-Shenzhen
The concert was held at the formal invitation of Ernst Woller, First President of the Vienna Provincial Parliament, the Organization for Promoting Austrian and Chinese Relations, and the Vienna Konzerthaus. Woller gave a welcome speech before the concert started, highly praising the concert's outstanding contribution to cultural exchange between China and Austria, and warmly welcoming the musicians who had traveled from Shenzhen.
Ernst Woller, First President of the Vienna Provincial Parliament, gives a welcome speech before the concert.
On the day of the performance, Qi Mei, the Chinese Ambassador to Austria, officially met with the delegation from the School of Music. She expressed her high regard for the event and her hope that the people of China and Austria would further strengthen their understanding and mutual trust through music. She also wished the delegation a successful performance.
Prof. Xiaogang YE (R) and Prof. Ping JIN acknowledge the audience's applause at the Vienna Konzerthaus.
Prof. Xiaogang YE, dean of the School of Music, led the delegation's "New Sounds & New Experiences: Contemporary Chamber Music From China Tour" to five cities from May 10 through June 3. The tour presented six performances in Beijing, Shenzhen, Vienna, Salzburg and Linz. The tour was supported by the Publicity Department of the Shenzhen Municipal Committee of the CPC and sponsored by Shenzhen's Special Fund to Promote Cultural Development. It is also one of the activities of the 2024 Shenzhen Belt and Road International Music Festival.
Four months before the launch of the global exchange tour, the School of Music, CUHK-Shenzhen issued an invitation to Chinese composers worldwide titled "From China: New Sounds & New Experiences." The call sought contemporary Chinese chamber music compositions, encouraging participation from Chinese composers globally. The event attracted numerous submissions from across the globe. Several outstanding works were chosen after a thorough selection process and careful review by a panel of judges chaired by Prof. Xiaogang YE.
The selected pieces were successfully presented at contemporary chamber music concerts in Beijing and Shenzhen, namely the 2024 Beijing Modern Music Festival — Contemporary Chinese Chamber Music Concert, and the Arts and Science — The Second Guangming Chamber Music Festival.
These works were featured in the prestigious Vienna Konzerthaus and other venues as part of the tour concerts, marking the first European leg of the school's global tour.
Source: Shenzhen Daily