Shanghai Spring International Music Festival opens on high note
The 39th Shanghai Spring International Music Festival opened with a themed concert at the Shanghai Symphony Hall, and Hofesh Shechter Company's double bill dance performance at the Shanghai International Dance Center Theater on Friday evening.
The festival, running from March 22 to April 14, will present a total of 57 concerts and nine dance productions by national and international troupes and artists.
Young violinist Wang Ruiyi and 98-year-old conductor Cao Peng.
As a tribute to the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, the opening concert featured the city's four major music groups with the participation of more than 300 performers and musicians from the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra, Shanghai Opera House, and Shanghai Conservatory of Music.
Pianist Kong Xiangdong, young violinist Wang Ruiyi, soprano Wang Shan and erhu player Zhu Jing were among the performers, with the orchestra under the baton of conductor Yu Feng.
Pianist Kong Xiangdong performs with the orchestra under the baton of conductor Yu Feng.
At the Shanghai International Dance Center Theater, award-winning Israeli choreographer Hofesh Shechter's dance company debuted "Double Murder."
Co-commissioned by the Dance Center Theater and a handful of overseas theaters and art festivals, "Double Murder" consists of two distinctly contrasting dance pieces "Clowns" and "The Fix."
"Clowns" turns the stage into a bizarre circus, where dancers dress up as clowns from the 18th century for grand mayhem, while "The Fix" is like an antidote, bringing a gentle and fragile power to the stage.
"Clowns" turns the stage into a bizarre circus.
Choreographer Shechter did not make the trip to Shanghai this time, though his "Grand Finale" attracted many fans when presented six years ago.
"Shechter does not pursue excessive packaging of his works, but the true and direct expression of his ideas and emotions," said the company's rehearsal director Zhang Jianming.
Zhang said the dancers come from varied backgrounds and countries including Hungary, the US, South Korea, France and Spain. Everyone had their own way and philosophy of dance moves, contributing to the diversity of the company.
The performance features strong rhythm and impact.
"The challenge was for the dancers to highlight their personality while also maintaining consistency," he said.
"We hope that the audience will forget the trivialities of life when watching the performance. When leaving the theater, they can recall the connection between the dance and their own lives."
Shechter learnt piano as a child and has always called himself a movie lover. Therefore, the performance has a cinematic taste, featuring strong rhythm and impact with the integration of world music, rock, and electronic synthesizer.
