Simply Sibelius

Shanghai Symphony Orchestra

Date: April 22, 2022

Venue: Jaguar Shanghai

Symphony Orchestra Hall

Following a previous season of conducting, Yu Ji once again leads the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra in performing works by Sibelius. “Violin Concerto in D minor,” performed during the first half, has a strong Nordic s△le and a tragic mood

filled with tenacity and optimism. It is a portrayal of Finnish nationality.The “Second Symphony” performed during the second half is Sibelius’“Pastoral,” a solemn, lively, and epic masterpiece without words.

Beethoven’s Sextet for Winds

Shanghai Symphony Orchestra

Date: April 8, 2022

Venue: Jaguar Shanghai

Symphony Orchestra Hall

Since its opening, the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra has explored chamber music and continues to do so today. This season, the “Chamber Music” band features more than 40 participating players who examine and perform for audiences with the more unpopular or unknown works of famous composers. Chamber 11 will present pieces that feature woodwind instruments in prominence. Expect to hear works from Beethoven, Mozart, and Hovhaness.

Beijing Makes Progress in Adding Central Axis to the World Heritage List

Beijing has made progress in applying to add its Central Axis to the list of world cultural heritage sites, a spokesperson for the city’s cultural heritage bureau said on February 13.

According to a three-year action plan on the conservation of the Central Axis, projects related to cultural relic protection, environmental improvement, and resident relocation have been developing quite well, Liu Hongchang, spokesperson of the Beijing Municipal Cultural Heritage Bureau, said at a press conference.

“A draft of our written application was submitted to the World Heritage Center for format review ahead of schedule,”Liu said.

The successful holding of a series of events, including the Asian Dialogue for Cultural Heritage Conservation and the 44th session of the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO,did much to expand the international awareness of Beijing’s Central Axis, said Liu.

The Beijing Central Axis is 7.8 kilometers long, starting in the south of Beijing from the Yongding Gate and ending with the Drum Tower and Bell Tower in the north. Most of the significant old-city buildings in Beijing are located along this axis.

A “China Day” Event Held in Iraq’s Erbil Promotes Cultural Exchanges

The Chinese Language Department of Salahaddin University held a “China Day” event on February 14 in Erbil, the capital city of Iraq’s Kurdistan region, to promote cultural exchanges.

Ni Ruchi, China’s consul general in Erbil, attended the event and lauded the role of the department, established in 2019 as Iraq’s first Chinese language institute for higher education, in promoting cultural and educational cooperation.

“Language is a bridge between nations, and we hope Kurdish students can be future economic,cultural, and educational ambassadors,” Ni said at the opening ceremony of the event.

The event kicked off by playing the theme song of the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games in the presence of local officials,students from the department,Chinese diplomats, and business representatives.

Barzan Jaafar Ali, head of the department, said that by holding this event, “our goal is to establish a bridge between the Chinese and Kurdish cultures. We are trying to improve the relationship between the two cultures.”

Atif Abdullah Farhadi, dean of the College of Languages to which the Chinese Language Department belongs, said,“We have a plan to expand the department and enroll more students, and we are planning to organize some special Chinese language courses for business people and traders.”

Hiwa Xoshnaw, a junior student from the Chinese Language Department wearing a Chinese outfit, said that this kind of event “helps our people become more familiar with Chinese culture and language.”

“Chinese Memories”Concert Held in Belgium

A concert entitled “Chinese Memories” was held in the western Belgian city of Ghent on February 18 to celebrate the Chinese New Year.

All musical pieces performed during the concert were composed by the Belgian composer Johan Famaey and performed and sung in Chinese by Belgian artists. The elegant music blending Chinese and Western styles drew the audience into the poetic and dreamlike artistic world of ancient Chinese poetry.

“This is how Chinese Memories should be understood: an ode to China,” said Famaey, who previously lived in east China’s Qingdao City from 2005 to 2009.

“Chinese Memories is kind of a combination of tunes I created for some poetry from the Tang and Song dynasties that my Chinese wife and I selected with music from the romantic era. Since Baroque music sounds very exotic to the Chinese people, it inspired me with this idea of bringing things together,” he said.

The concert was led by renowned conductor Geert Baetens and featured Famaey himself who played theyangqin, a traditional Chinese musical instrument, accompanied by an orchestra and children’s choir.