Acclaimed British vocal ensemble makes debut at MISA Festival in Shanghai

The acclaimed British vocal ensemble Tenebrae made its Asian debut at Shanghai Symphony Hall on July 6, earning rapturous applause from local audiences. Hailed as "devastatingly beautiful" by Gramophone magazine, Tenebrae ranks among the world's leading choral groups, though it remains relatively unfamiliar to the wider Chinese public. Buoyed by strong word-of-mouth following their debut performance, ticket sales surged by more than 200 tickets for the ensemble's second concert on July 7.

Founding director Nigel Short expressed his delight at the enthusiastic reception. Before establishing Tenebrae 25 years ago, Short had toured Asia as a singer and recalled audiences then being "polite and calm". By contrast, he described the response in Shanghai as full of "heartfelt passion", calling it "wonderful to see".

The concerts form part of the 2026 MISA Festival, running from July 5 to 20, which offers 33 live performances and 23 online broadcasts. This year's edition, themed Pioneers: Play It Forward, centers on classical music while embracing film scores, jazz, world music, dance, and choral works, and brings together leading international artists.

The festival opened with a newly staged adaptation of Hamlet, blending Shakespeare's text with Dmitri Shostakovich's incidental music under the direction of Theater Director Li Liuyi. Another highlight arrives on July 8 and 9, when the UK's Aurora Orchestra joins Chinese pianist Wang Liya and Zeng Yun, principal horn of the Berliner Philharmoniker, for performances of works by Mozart and Richard Strauss.