Concert harmonizes China-Brazil cultural ties

On Tuesday, the FHE Poupex theater in Brasilia, Brazil, came alive with a full house as the China National Symphony Orchestra joined forces with the Symphony Orchestra of the Teatro Nacional Claudio Santoro for a special concert marking the 2026 China-Brazil Cultural Year.

This performance, a key event for the ongoing cultural exchange between China and Brazil, was attended by more than 600 guests, symbolizing the deepening cultural ties between the two nations.

The first half of the concert, under the baton of Jing Huan, began with the dynamic Aquarela do Brasil, or Watercolor of Brazil, a samba song composed by Brazilian musician Ary Barroso, evoking the rich landscapes of Brazil with lively, bright melodies. Following this, the classic Chinese music piece Butterfly Lovers Violin Concerto, performed by Yao Liang, the principal violinist of the China National Symphony Orchestra, captivated the audience. The concerto, a heartfelt retelling of the famous Chinese love story, moved the Brazilian audience with its delicate yet powerful expression of Eastern beauty.

Other highlights of the first half included the upbeat Chinese piece Dance of the Golden Snake by Nie Er and Tang Jianping and the Brazilian composition Batuque by Oscar Lorenzo Fernandez, which energized the crowd with its rhythmic intensity.

After the intermission, Claudio Cohen, conductor of the second half of the program, introduced the Chinese artists before leading the orchestra in a performance of Gaoyuan Kuangwu, or "highland dance", by Chinese composer Zhao Jiping. The piece, filled with grandeur and ethnic flavor, celebrated the spirit of China's western plateau.

The second half also included lively Brazilian compositions, such as Heitor Villa-Lobos' playful The Little Train of the Caipira and Antonio Carlos Gomes' dramatic opera overture The Guarani.

Both conductors noted that the interplay between Chinese and Brazilian compositions was a defining feature of the evening, fostering greater understanding and harmony between the two cultures.