Music festival celebrates Chinese traditional instruments

The 2024 Beijing Traditional Music Festival — Chinese Music (National Instruments) Performance Event took place from Oct 26 to Sunday in Beijing.

Organized by the China Conservatory of Music, Beijing Federation of Literary and Art Circles, and Beijing Musicians Association, the festival aimed to build a high-level exchange platform for world music collaboration and the preservation and development of outstanding traditional music.

Nearly 500 talented young musicians, selected through a rigorous national audition process, gathered at the China Conservatory of Music, to celebrate this musical feast. They brought with them a profound love for music and deep respect for Chinese traditional culture. With refined skills and captivating melodies, they showcased the rich and dynamic world of Chinese traditional music, highlighting the depth and vitality of Chinese national instruments and the unique charm of Chinese musical culture.

The event focused on 10 specialties within Chinese instrumental music, including erhu ,  pipe , and guzheng . From its inception, it attracted the enthusiastic support and active participation of faculty and students from over 180 music and arts institutions across China, with more than 1,600 participants registering. This not only demonstrated the strong foundation of Chinese national instrument education but also garnered widespread attention from society, becoming a grand event in China's music scene.

Breaking regional and academic barriers, the festival invited 225 musicians, educators, conductors, and composers from music conservatories and artistic groups across the country to serve as evaluators.

The final performances were held in two parts: on Oct 26 and 27 for yangqin , bamboo flute, sheng , Chinese percussion, and sounds ; and on Nov 2 and 3 for guzheng ,  pipe ,  erhu ,  guqin , and soft .

This festival allowed more people to experience the unique charm of Chinese traditional music and instruments, inspiring a love for and commitment to the heritage of Chinese traditional culture. The event also provided a platform for young music students to showcase their talents and learn from each other, fostering the development and preservation of Chinese music culture, according to Li Xincao, president of the China Conservatory of Music and renowned conductor.

"We hope to uncover talented instrumentalists through this platform and contribute to building a strong talent pool for Chinese instruments, enriching the teaching staff of the China Conservatory and all Chinese arts institutions," Li said.

The 2024 Beijing Traditional Music Festival taking place from Oct 26 to Sunday in Beijing.[Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The 2024 Beijing Traditional Music Festival taking place from Oct 26 to Sunday in Beijing.[Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]