Wuxi Chinese Orchestra brings Eastern culture to life across Europe

After bringing its German tour to a conclusion at the Tonhalle Duesseldorf concert hall, the Wuxi Chinese Orchestra continued its journey, performing new musical chapters amid the foothills of the Austrian Alps and in the country's capital of music.

The performance at the Tyrolean Festival Hall, coinciding with the 55th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Austria, served as a spiritual bridge, adding a masterstroke to the cultural exchange between the two nations.

In the Vienna Musikverein concert hall, the ensemble not only presented classic Chinese orchestral works but curated a "Dreams of Jiangnan" cultural salon, allowing the Austrian audience to experience the charm of China's intangible cultural heritage firsthand beyond the music.

After the performance, Chinese Ambassador to Austria Qi Mei said the Austrian audience's understanding of the emotions conveyed through the music perfectly illustrated how "the more national it is, the more it belongs to the world".

"As a Chinese person who works abroad year-round, I often say I don't miss home. But at this very moment, immersed in the music of our country, especially when the familiar Spring Festival Overture began, I realized I was just being stubborn — I do miss home and I was fighting back tears. I believe music is a bridge; it fosters greater understanding among people worldwide and spreads goodwill," said an overseas Chinese audience member surnamed Wen.

At the performance in the Vienna Musikverein, Daniel Serafin, chairman of the Austrian Chinese Musicians Association, participated in the "Elegant Rhythms of Jiangnan, Harmonious Resonance of Traditional Music" cultural salon, learning to use brush and ink to write the Chinese character fu, which symbolizes good fortune and blessings.

"On this Chinese New Year, I wish Wuxi even greater happiness and continuous flourishing. I look forward to more friends from Wuxi visiting Austria, and I also hope that more Austrians will have the opportunity to visit and explore Wuxi," said Serafin.

Cultural outreach thrives on both performance and exchange. The Wuxi Chinese Orchestra's European tour extended its influence far beyond the stage. In central Brussels, musicians performed The Adventures of Tintin with Jiangnan Sizhu, a style of traditional Chinese instrumental music from the Jiangnan region, before comic murals, captivating passers-by. In German cities like Stuttgart, the orchestra's piece A Dream of Taihu introduced Wuxi city and its lake, creating a new cultural symbol for European audiences.

At the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, Chinese and European musicians held improvisational "dialogues" with their instruments, blending Eastern expressiveness with Western formalism and deepening friendship. In Austria's Tyrol, the orchestra performed alongside local musicians amid Alpine scenery, allowing the sounds of Jiangnan to resonate across the mountains.

This tour was not only an artistic showcase but an international dissemination of the city's identity. Using traditional music as a bridge, the Wuxi Chinese Orchestra brought the sounds of Jiangnan Sizhu, along with the essence of Taihu Lake, into mainstream European artistic circles.

It garnered high praise from Chinese diplomatic missions in Europe, local media and audiences, creating a powerful, cascading message for Wuxi's traditional music, Jiangnan culture and the voice of China.