Elegant sounds of traditional Chinese folk music filled the Center
The Center hosted a marvelous concert by the Shanghai Chinese Orchestra that brought traditional Chinese folk music to Belgium.
On the evening of June 5, the Shanghai Chinese Orchestra performed the “New Oriental Elegance of Chinese Music” concert at the China Cultural Center in Brussels. The performance highlighted traditional Chinese folk music and added contemporary elements to emphasize the Shanghai spirit.
Over 130 guests enjoyed this artistic experience, including Mr. ZHANG Chi, Chargé d’Affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Belgium; Mr. CHE Weimin, Minister-Counselor of the Chinese Mission to the EU; Mr. XIANG Shihai, Counselor of Culture of the Chinese Embassy in Belgium; and Ms. QIAN Weihong, Vice President of the Shanghai Chinese Orchestra.
As an ensemble of global renown, the Shanghai Chinese Orchestra is famous for its harmonious cooperation among members and its incredibly varied repertoire. The orchestra aims to show the European audience the elegance of Chinese culture and to promote artistic exchanges as well as cultural cooperation between China and Belgium. In his opening words, Mr. ZHANG Chi underlined the importance of cultural exchanges like this concert to strengthen the bilateral relations between China and Belgium and the friendship between the people.
This concert is the second cooperation between the Shanghai Chinese Orchestra and the China Cultural Center in Brussels. The Shanghai Chinese Orchestra looks forward to more opportunities for exchanges in the future, sharing the rich content and unique aesthetic concept of Chinese music and culture with audiences around the world.
For this concert, the Shanghai Chinese Orchestra was represented by three musicians. Mr. Tony YU is a world-class pipa player with a richly emotional performing style. Through cross-border cooperation, he promotes his instrumental proficiency as well as Chinese traditional culture and art. Ms. CHEN Yunying, flute and xiao player, excels at playing solos in major performances and her strong energy is highly commendable. Ms. SHA Mo is the first medium-sized ruan in the Fashionable String & Ruan Group of the Shanghai Chinese Orchestra. Her performing style is fluid, it can be gentle or heroic, but she always presents a very artistic appeal.
All three performers revealed their excellent mastering of various kinds of works. They presented pieces of ancient music, folk music and compositions that accentuate the different instruments, such as “Flame”, “Wine Madness” and “Partridge in Flight”. The outstanding performance elicited much-deserved praise. On June 7, the Shanghai Chinese Orchestra will continue its Belgian tour in the picturesque city of Bruges.
