Curtain falls on Spring of Chinese Music European tour

The 16‑day Spring of Chinese Music European concert tour, one of the largest traditional Chinese music tours on the continent this year, concluded on Feb 28.

A 2025 National Art Fund-supported project, the tour was organized by the China Center for International Cultural Exchange and Tourism Promotion and the Wuxi Chinese Orchestra as part of Chinese New Year celebrations.

Beginning on Feb 13, the Wuxi Chinese orchestra performed across seven European locations — Brussels in Belgium, Hamburg, Stuhr and Dusseldorf in Germany, Tyrol and Vienna in Austria, and Budapest in Hungary.

Gracing the stages of some of the world's most prestigious concert halls, the ensemble delivered seven high-caliber performances to a combined audience of 12,000. The concerts offered a panoramic showcase of Chinese folk music, blending its profound classical heritage with a vibrant, contemporary spirit.

Under the baton of conductor Sun Peng, the tour featured collaborative performances by celebrated pipa virtuoso Zhang Hongyan and erhu master Deng Jiandong.

The performances gave European audiences a close‑up experience of the rich textures of Chinese traditional orchestral music and the exceptional artistry of the soloists.

During the tour, Chinese music also moved beyond the concert stage into the daily lives of people across Europe through a series of immersive exchanges in mountain resorts, public squares, university campuses and cathedral spaces.

The orchestra filled Brussels' iconic Grand Place with the sounds of Chinese instruments, while in the Alpine resort of Tyrol, Chinese and foreign musicians combined to send their notes wafting over the slopes. Professional exchanges were held at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna, while a sheng and pipe organ duet took place inside St. Stephen's Cathedral, vividly demonstrating the harmonious co‑existence of Chinese and Western musical traditions.

The tour was part of the Chinese Ministry of Culture and Tourism's 2026 "Happy Chinese New Year" events, with the China Center for International Cultural Exchange and Tourism Promotion working closely with Chinese embassies and consulates in Belgium, Germany, Austria and Hungary. A number of Spring Festival receptions were organized in conjunction with the concerts.

As conductor Sun Peng said after the final performance, "Music needs no translation, the applause says it all."