Beijing Music Festival Reveals Lineup of 2023 Events

The Beijing Music Festival unveiled the details of its 25th/26th festival, scheduled from Sept. 22 to Oct. 15, with the theme Music·Youth·Future·Attitude.

Spanning 24 days, the festival will showcase 25 diverse and musically rich performances, including opera, premieres of newly commissioned works, visual symphonic concerts, and recitals and chamber music. The 25th/26th Beijing Music Festival - postponed from 2022 because of Covid - will delve deep into the city's classical music heritage, creating novel musical experiences rooted in Beijing's rich historical legacy.

World-class performers and international classical music institutions from China, Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain, and other countries will gather, highlighting the youthful energy in the world of classical music today. Under the vision of Artistic Director Shuang Zou, the festival offers audiences a glimpse into the future of classical music, turning Beijing into a music hub during the golden autumn season.

The offerings include a special series of urban music events tailored to the younger generation. Through robust, innovative content, the festival reinforces its role as a platform for bridging China to the rest of the world through the arts. Continuing its commitment to charity, the 25th/26th Beijing Music Festival will also feature charitable concerts and activities, including children's concerts, masterclasses, open rehearsals, and artist dialogues, enriching the audience's engagement with the music.

In 2023, as the performing arts industry recovers and international cultural exchanges resume, the Beijing Music Festival embraces a fresh start with the theme Music, Youth, Future, & Attitude, encouraging young Chinese musicians through innovative concepts and experiences and providing a platform for them to showcase their talents to the world. This has been the driving force for the festival's founder and Artistic Committee Chairman, Long Yu, for many years.

"The classical music culture of China is at a turning point, and the key to taking that crucial step lies in amplifying the voices of young Chinese musicians on the world stage," Long Yu said. "The Beijing Music Festival will serve as the starting point for young Chinese musicians to step onto the global stage, making it the focal point of attention for the world and a starting point for the future of China's music industry."

Conductors Jin Yukuang, Sun Yifan, and Yu Ji; instrumentalists Mei Diyang, Mo Mo, Lin Ruifeng, Ju Xiaofu, Sun Jiayi, Zhang Haotian, and Nie Jiapeng; and vocalists Wang Yunpeng, Liu Shen, and Han Yinpei, among other young musicians, will make prominent appearances throughout the festival.

Mei Diyang, a violist, will collaborate with the Berliner Barock Solisten on a series of baroque works, while Lin Ruifeng, a violinist, will join the London Sinfonietta as a special guest. Jazz talent Laufey Lin Bing will make her China debut, collaborating with the China Philharmonic Orchestra. In addition, conductor John Warner, from the U.K., will lead the Mahler Foundation Festival Orchestra through a century-long dialogue with Mahler's classic works, presenting new works from Chinese and foreign composers born between the 1970s and 2000s. Among them, Huang Ruo and Wang Ying will present Chinese premieres, while Sarah Scott, Wang Feinan, and Li Zhenyan will premiere new works commissioned by the festival. Music by Anna Thorvaldsdottir, Shen Yiwen, and Li Zhenyan will also engage with Mahler in the programs, also featuring music by contemporary master George Benjamin and Olivier Messiaen.

In collaboration with the Dahua City Center for the Performing Arts, the Beijing Music Festival will stage the Chinese premiere of Haydn's opera Il Mondo della Luna/">Luna, conducted by Yu Ji and performed by young Chinese vocalists.

The Mahler Foundation Festival Orchestra, comprising young musicians from various European countries, will participate as the festival's resident orchestra. The four concerts this year will be crafted as a grand gathering for the exchange of young musicians from China and abroad. The fourth concert - the festival's closing event - will feature the young conductors John Warner and Kim Yook. The Mahler Foundation Festival Orchestra will also join forces with the New Classical Chamber Orchestra to form the Beijing Music Festival Orchestra, performing Dvořák's beloved Symphony No. 9, From the New World.

Prominent young musicians such as renowned sheng player Wu Wei, countertenor Liu Shen, pianist Ju Xiaofu, baritone Wang Yunpeng, and mezzo-soprano Han Yinpei will also perform in the four concerts.

In 2002, Long Yu introduced the "Chinese Concept"; since then, the festival has continuously featured commissioned works representing China. This year, the festival will present more commissioned music, showcasing Chinese composers while focusing on collaboration with young composers and international talent.

The opening concert, titled "Commemorating Liu Tianhua and the 101st Anniversary of the Founding of the Peking University Music Training Institute," will include the world premiere of the Fantastic Symphonic Suite Homage to Liu Tianhua. Commissioned jointly by the Beijing Music Festival and the Beijing Chinese Orchestra, the suite is composed by Zou Ye, based on Liu Tianhua's instrumental works.

Blending symphonic music with Chinese art music, the concert will be conducted by Yang Yang, featuring the China Philharmonic Orchestra, the Beijing Chinese Orchestra, cellist Mo Mo, and soprano Zhang Liping. The Beijing Music Festival will present the Chinese premiere of the new symphonic dance The Monkey King, by Liu Sola - a joint commission with the Mahler Foundation. The piece blends elements of folk music, modern music aesthetics, the colors of traditional Chinese instruments, the liveliness of jazz, and the grandeur of the symphony, offering a fresh take on classical works. It will be performed by the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra - the oldest symphony orchestra in Asia and long-time collaborator with the festival. These two new works pay tribute to Chinese traditional music from different perspectives, enriching the artistic connotation of classic works in the modern era.

Renowned composer and conductor Tan Dun, violin master Daniel Hope, young pianist Sun Jiayi, and cellist Nie JiaPeng will join forces to perform Tan Dun's Martial Arts Trilogy symphony concert, presenting the composer's classic film music. The festival's chamber offerings includes the Shanghai Quartet, celebrating its 40th anniversary, and a solo piano recital by International piano master Stephen Hough.

The theme Music·Youth·Future·Attitude refers to the exploration of new experiences and models through innovation. The festival aims to combine classical music culture with modern technology and media, creating a new atmosphere for broader public engagement in classical music. In 2020, the Beijing Music Festival led the way into the era of classical music live-streaming and online content planning, breaking boundaries with an unprecedented 240-hour uninterrupted online presentation; this year, the festival takes music enthusiasts back to live music experiences in an "offline-only" format.

The 25th/26th festival presents Pastoral for the Planet, a visual symphony by Spain's avant-garde theater troupe La Fura dels Baus. Featuring Beethoven's Symphony No. 6, Symphony No. 7, and Die Geschöpfe des Prometheus, the multimedia concert combines installation, performance, visuals, and sound. It will be conducted by Huang Yi, the newly appointed music director, leading the Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra. The audience will be invited to interact with the music through a mobile app. Pianist Zhang Haotian will combine live music performance with the release of "digital art collections," collaborating across disciplines with blockchain artists.

The festival will introduce "Medium Theater Opera," featuring a new adaptation of Bartók's opera Bluebeard's Castle by the U.K.-based Voice Theatre, performed by the London Sinfonietta at the Beijing Comedy Theatre. Presented in medium-sized theaters, Il Mondo della Luna/">Luna and Bluebeard's Castle will immerse the audience into the surreal world of opera and musical theater. The Chinese premiere of composer Hao Weiya's opera AI's Variation will use a semi-staged format to depict a future world where artificial intelligence coexists with humanity, sparking discussions on the significance of human existence.

The "Music in Parks" series is a special collaboration between the Beijing Music Festival and the Beijing Park Management Center this year, bringing together high-quality local and international chamber music. The series will launch with three afternoon tea concerts at the Divine Music Administration of Temple of Heaven: Eighteen Songs of a Nomad Flute, by guqin player Lin Chen and singer Gong Linna, a chamber concert by the Hong Kong Sinfonietta, and an art song concert by tenor Mo Hualun.

The 25th/26th Beijing Music Festival includes more than 10 public welfare performances and activities, serving a diversity of audiences. The activities will take place in professional theaters, new performing spaces, community art centers, and other urban spaces, using the festival's position as a cultural hub to integrate musical culture into every corner of the city.

The two operas will offer guided tours, covering the storylines, vocal highlights, and production styles. Violist Mei Diyang and pianist Stephen Hough will host a public master class, and the Shanghai Quartet and Shanghai Symphony Orchestra will host open rehearsals, providing a rich learning opportunity.

The Beijing Music Festival's important public welfare "Children's Concert" will celebrate its 40th anniversary with a special concert by the world-renowned Beijing Philharmonic Choir, which appeared at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics opening ceremony.

The festival will also collaborate with the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra's TRI Third Space to launch the Spring Bird Project @ BMF concert series. Themed "Night of the Future" the four concerts will be entirely planned, produced, and performed by young musicians, giving them the opportunity to exercise their full artistic imagination and innovation.

This year, the Beijing Music Festival will launch an official WeChat Mini Program and a Beijing Music Festival membership system to enhance audience participation and experience. The WeChat Mini Program will integrate various functions and content, including ticket sales, public-welfare activity reservations, performance information, and details on transportation and lodging. The membership system will consist of multiple levels and includes student discounts.

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