Festival musicians have wind in their sails
By Fei Lai |
00:00 UTC+8 May 6, 2012
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
IN a spectacular initiative, 2,000 musicians from around the world recently took part in performances on nine cruise ships as they sailed along the Huangpu River.
To celebrate the opening of the 2012 Shanghai Spring International Wind Music Festival and the 6th Non-Professional Outstanding Symphony Band Performance, the ships set off from Qinhuangdao "World Expo Watergate" in the Riverside Development Zone of Yangpu District for the opening of the three-day festival on April 29.
Their music created a stir, causing numerous people along the banks of the river to stop, watch and listen.
"Each cruise ship can hold 200 to 400 performers and the best place to view the grand opening event was between the Bund and the Oriental Pearl TV Tower," said Chen Hongguang, office director of the wind music festival's organizing committee.
"Yangpu District aims to build itself into an international and cultural district. The wind and brass instrument art festival has contributed to a local music festival brand."
The opening also witnessed rousing performances from the marching bands of the University of Washington and the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology.
As part of the 2012 Shanghai Spring International Music Festival, the wind music festival featured almost 60 wind bands from China and overseas. With more than 3,500 musicians participating, it was one of the biggest events of its kind in China.
During the May Day holiday, the bands participated in almost 20 performances.
World-famous conductor Johan de Meij guest conducted the Military Band of the Chinese People's Liberation Army at Shanghai Oriental Art Center, showcasing works such as " The Lord of the Rings," "The Big Apple" and "Planet Earth."
Born in 1953, de Meij studied trombone and conducting at the Royal Conservatory of Music in the Hague. He has earned international fame as a composer and arranger.
His resume includes original compositions, symphonic transcriptions and arrangements of film scores and musicals.
Besides composing and arranging, de Meij is active as a performer, conductor, adjudicator and lecturer.
As a trombone and euphonium player he has performed with the major orchestras and ensembles in the Netherlands.
He has conducted some of the leading wind orchestras of Europe, Asia, North and South America and has led master classes around the world.
Zou Rui, director of the Military Band of the PLA, said it was the first time that the conductor had visited China and believed that his passion and professional performance was an inspiration to young Chinese musicians.
To bring their music to a wider audience, bands from Shanghai, Zhejiang, Hebei and Guangdong also played on downtown Nanjing Road during the festival.
Moreover, 48 amateur bands in elementary school, middle school, university and social categories competed at the Non-Professional Outstanding Symphony Band Performance event.
The musicians came from all walks of life - including students, teachers, police officers, farmers and retirees.
On May 1, a judging panel composed of experts from the United States, the Netherlands, Singapore, South Korea and China held an awards ceremony at Fudan University.
That evening, marching bands performed at Fudan Zhengda Gymnasium. Among highlights was the Chongqing Special Education Center's Blind Wind Band, an audience favorite.
The wind music festival has been held since 2008 in Yangpu. The festival has won the "Professional Operation Award of Shanghai Significant Cultural Events" and become a major cultural event in the city.
Early figures show that the festival has attracted participation of 22 foreign bands from almost 10 countries - including the United States, South Korea, Spain, Japan and Malaysia - and 142 bands from Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Macau.
A total of 164 bands featuring 12,571 musicians, plus the Military Band of the PLA and Military Band of the PLA Navy have participated over the past four years, playing to total audiences of 280,000 people.
For a long time, Yangpu was labeled as an industrial area, lacking cultural facilities.
However, it is now a hotspot for culture.
The Shanghai Spring International Wind Music Festival has played a major role in this transformation, nurturing local bands and talented teenage players.
"As a comprehensive music festival, the wind music festival aims at popularize wind instruments, support talented wind musicians and provide a stage for wind music from both China and foreign countries," said Jiang Siwen, vice chairman of China Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles. "It will encourage communication among musicians internationally and promote the development of wind music."
To celebrate the opening of the 2012 Shanghai Spring International Wind Music Festival and the 6th Non-Professional Outstanding Symphony Band Performance, the ships set off from Qinhuangdao "World Expo Watergate" in the Riverside Development Zone of Yangpu District for the opening of the three-day festival on April 29.
Their music created a stir, causing numerous people along the banks of the river to stop, watch and listen.
"Each cruise ship can hold 200 to 400 performers and the best place to view the grand opening event was between the Bund and the Oriental Pearl TV Tower," said Chen Hongguang, office director of the wind music festival's organizing committee.
"Yangpu District aims to build itself into an international and cultural district. The wind and brass instrument art festival has contributed to a local music festival brand."
The opening also witnessed rousing performances from the marching bands of the University of Washington and the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology.
As part of the 2012 Shanghai Spring International Music Festival, the wind music festival featured almost 60 wind bands from China and overseas. With more than 3,500 musicians participating, it was one of the biggest events of its kind in China.
During the May Day holiday, the bands participated in almost 20 performances.
World-famous conductor Johan de Meij guest conducted the Military Band of the Chinese People's Liberation Army at Shanghai Oriental Art Center, showcasing works such as " The Lord of the Rings," "The Big Apple" and "Planet Earth."
Born in 1953, de Meij studied trombone and conducting at the Royal Conservatory of Music in the Hague. He has earned international fame as a composer and arranger.
His resume includes original compositions, symphonic transcriptions and arrangements of film scores and musicals.
Besides composing and arranging, de Meij is active as a performer, conductor, adjudicator and lecturer.
As a trombone and euphonium player he has performed with the major orchestras and ensembles in the Netherlands.
He has conducted some of the leading wind orchestras of Europe, Asia, North and South America and has led master classes around the world.
Zou Rui, director of the Military Band of the PLA, said it was the first time that the conductor had visited China and believed that his passion and professional performance was an inspiration to young Chinese musicians.
To bring their music to a wider audience, bands from Shanghai, Zhejiang, Hebei and Guangdong also played on downtown Nanjing Road during the festival.
Moreover, 48 amateur bands in elementary school, middle school, university and social categories competed at the Non-Professional Outstanding Symphony Band Performance event.
The musicians came from all walks of life - including students, teachers, police officers, farmers and retirees.
On May 1, a judging panel composed of experts from the United States, the Netherlands, Singapore, South Korea and China held an awards ceremony at Fudan University.
That evening, marching bands performed at Fudan Zhengda Gymnasium. Among highlights was the Chongqing Special Education Center's Blind Wind Band, an audience favorite.
The wind music festival has been held since 2008 in Yangpu. The festival has won the "Professional Operation Award of Shanghai Significant Cultural Events" and become a major cultural event in the city.
Early figures show that the festival has attracted participation of 22 foreign bands from almost 10 countries - including the United States, South Korea, Spain, Japan and Malaysia - and 142 bands from Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Macau.
A total of 164 bands featuring 12,571 musicians, plus the Military Band of the PLA and Military Band of the PLA Navy have participated over the past four years, playing to total audiences of 280,000 people.
For a long time, Yangpu was labeled as an industrial area, lacking cultural facilities.
However, it is now a hotspot for culture.
The Shanghai Spring International Wind Music Festival has played a major role in this transformation, nurturing local bands and talented teenage players.
"As a comprehensive music festival, the wind music festival aims at popularize wind instruments, support talented wind musicians and provide a stage for wind music from both China and foreign countries," said Jiang Siwen, vice chairman of China Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles. "It will encourage communication among musicians internationally and promote the development of wind music."
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