All that jazz!

In 2006, Huang founded the Nine Gates Jazz Festival, which grew into one of China's most respected jazz events over 14 years. The Taihu Jazz Festival builds on that legacy, but with a broader vision, one that incorporates technology, education and immersive experiences.

Across nine stages this year, innovation meets tradition. Forty youth bands are performing 169 free concerts, while jazz-themed films, art installations and creative markets have expanded the festival into something closer to a cultural ecosystem. Here, jazz isn't just heard — it is lived.

Reflecting on his career, Huang remains pragmatic yet optimistic: "Jazz in China hasn't exploded overnight, and that's fine. It's a steady, organic growth. Young musicians are returning from overseas to contribute to the scene, and now, nearly every public music institute offers jazz programs. That matters."

He is equally clear about what young musicians need to focus on. "Build your foundation. Keep creating," he says. "Without creation, music loses its meaning."

That spirit of experimentation is perhaps best embodied by Liu Wenwen, whose work with the suona challenges expectations of what jazz can include.

At first glance, the suona, a traditional Chinese double-reed instrument, with its piercing, ceremonial tone, seems far removed from jazz's fluid improvisation. But Liu has found a way to bridge that gap.

"I was uncertain at first," admits Liu. "Jazz was a foreign world to me. It was the first time I had worked with jazz musicians, and we were all finding our way. But when we started playing, something clicked. It was magical." Over the past three years, Liu has developed a jazz ensemble that blends suona with piano, guitar, drums and saxophone. At Taihu, she performs alongside pianist Huang Jianyi, guitarist Xu Zhihan, drummer Xu Zhitong, multi-instrumentalist Zhang Wenbiao and her student Xu Duo.

Liu, who grew up in a family of suona players, began learning the instrument at the age of 4. Now 34, Liu has risen to become one of China's most active and innovative young suona players. She holds a master's degree from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music and is currently the first student in a doctoral program for suona performance at the same institution.