A choir from South Africa performs at the opening ceremony of the The 11th China International Chorus Festival.

The 11th China International Chorus Festival (CICF) opened in Beijing on July 15, with 32 choirs from 39 different countries and regions participating along with 134 domestic choirs from all over China.

This festival is the largest international chorus event in China and is held in Beijing once every two years. It brings choruses from home and abroad together to promote cultural exchanges, and to share an appreciation for choral music.

Leon Tong Shiu-Wai, the first Vice President of the International Federation for Choral Music said that the 11th CICF is Asia-Pacific’s premier choral event, as no other event in the region compares in terms of size, number of participants, or artistic level.

Nine world-class choirs have been invited to join the Festival this year, including the Young People’s Chorus of New York City and the Gondwana Voices from Australia, providing a varied chorus display of different styles from different parts of the world.

The 11th CICF invited 15 international judges, making up over 70 percent of the judging panel. Awards were given based on the ranking of participant’s scores, with no fixed number of awards allowing for several winners. This international assessment method was first applied to Chinese chorus festivals.

The choirs will showcase their “International Flavor” to local citizens in many Chinese cities including Erdos, Guangzhou and Shanghai.

By Li Luyang