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Summer music festival expanding its repertoire
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OUTDOOR music for many tastes — classical, traditional, pop and jazz — will fill the air on both sides of the Huangpu River from July 4 to 18.
The 5th Music in the Summer Air (MISA) festival will bring high-quality, low-cost concerts to Shanghai. The program will feature 26 concerts including classical music, jazz, opera and multimedia shows as well as children’s opera and puppet shows.
More than 10,000 free tickets for eight concerts will be provided, while the ordinary ticket prices will start at 50 yuan (US$8.02).
Providing easy access to classical music was the initial goal for MISA, The festival has expanded to provide opportunities for urban residents to enjoy different kinds of music in a natural setting, said Chen Guangxian, chairman of the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, which initiated the event.
“We want the festival to become a bridge linking musicians and ordinary residents, so we should attract them in the first place, before introducing more classical works,” Chen says.
The festival has always sought attractive venues, and this year will play at Shuanghui Plaza in the Pudong New Area and the Shanghai Urban Music Lawn in Huangpu District.
The Pudong venue is located on the banks of the Huangpu River, where audiences can enjoy the music with the river breeze. Audiences in Huangpu District can appreciate music while sitting on a 5,400-square-meter lawn at a downtown site made for outdoor concerts completed last November.
Themed as “le xiang yue qu” (enjoying the fun of music), MISA this year aims to present the fun in music. Classical music will still be predominant, while other styles and crossover presentations will add color to the festival, said Zhou Ping, vice president of the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra.
The Shanghai Symphony, conducted by Yu Long, will cooperate with violinist Maxim Vengerov, cellist Wang Jian, pianist Li Jian and trumpet player Alison Balsom in presenting a series of classical works at the opening concert July 4 at the Pudong venue. The program will include Saint-Saens’ “Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso,” “Tchaikovsky’s “Variations on a Rococo Theme,” Chen Qigang’s “Joie eternelle” and “Scherzo for Piano and Orchestra,” commissioned for MISA by John Williams.
Also conducting will be Chinese composer Tan Dun, who is cooperating with the orchestra in presenting his commissioned work for MISA, “Long Li Ge Long,” a fun and relaxing piece.
The Pudong venue will be the site of concerts from a group of top female artists. Scottish virtuoso percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie, who lost her hearing at age 8, will cooperate with the Shanghai Chinese Orchestra on July 8, bringing “Shaman” composed by Chinese composer He Zhiyang. American Grammy award-winning soprano Jessye Norman will present popular sacred music for her concert on July 10. German singer Ute Lemper, known for her interpretation of Kurt Weill’s work, will bring best-known chanson pieces including works of Edith Piaf, Jacques Brel and Marlene Dietrich on July 13.
Jazz fans may find their rhythm at the piano guartet concert themed as “I Got Rhytm”on July 12. Gershwin’s best-known works like “An American in Paris” will be interpreted in an improvisational way.
The Huangpu venue will be a fun fair for children this summer. Marionetten Theater Schloss Schonbrunn will bring an opera puppet show, which will include such works such as Mozart’s “The Magic Flute” on July 5 and “The Grimms’ Fairy Tales: Hansel and Gretel” on July 6. Children will have an opportunity to participate in puppet making with professionals’ guidance.
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