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Approved by the Ministry of Culture of China and the Beijing
Municipal Government, the Beijing Music Festival was initiated in 1998. The
festival is held in Beijing annually.
By inviting distinguished musicians and music groups from home and abroad,
the Beijing Music Festival has become one of the well-known events in the world.
The festival offers a wide variety of music performances, including opera,
symphonic, solo concert, chamber music concert, classical jazz concert, song and
dance drama, and vocal concert. It has attracted artists and audience form all
over the world. The Beijing Music Festival Association is a non-profit
organization, and its members comprise experienced artists and excellent
managers. Under the guidance of leaders of the Beijing Municipal Government,
they provide high-level performances to music lovers by utilizing their
expertise and broad connection with international cultural and art
professionals.
The annual Beijing Music Festival lasts about one month from mid-October to
mid-November, and presents about 30 performances. Till 2002, the festival had
been held five times. During the past five years, such world-renowned artists as
male tenor Jose Carreras, female tenor Kathleen Battle, pianists Martha
Argerich, Fou Ts'ong, and Melvyn Tan, violinists Issac Stern, Sarah Chang and
Augustin Dumay, conductor Valery Gergiev and composer and conductor Krizysztof
Penderecki were invited to the festival.
The Beijing Music Festival also puts great emphasis on music education and
public welfare. Each year's festival offers free children's concert and
students' concert. The festival holds Master Classes each year in the Central
Conservatory and about 6,000 students, teachers and music lovers have taken
advice from well-known Chinese and foreign artists such as Issac Stern, Mischa
Maisky, Fou Ts'ong, Mo Hualun, Melvyn Tan, Lo King-man, Liao Naixiong, Kodaly
Quartet.
The Beijing Music Festival has achieved great success and won high praises
from people from all walks of life. It is regarded not only as a driving force
of music and cultural development, but also as one of Beijing's symbolic
activities. As an international music gala, the festival will certainly continue
to make great contribution to the worldwide cultural exchange and prosperity.
(Official website: www.bmf.org.cn) |
