'Youth in Harmony!' International schools charity concert strikes a chord

The 2025 International Schools Charity Concert "Soundwaves Across Mountains and Seas: Youth in Harmony" wrapped up at the Shanghai Concert Hall on Thursday, uniting performers and audiences in a vibrant celebration of youth this spring.

The concert focused on children and youth welfare, and the theme "Youth in Harmony" not only indicated the music melodies but also invited different parties for charitable causes.

Organized by SUMG Shanghai Global News Network and Shanghai Daily, the concert featured guest artists Catalina Vazquez, an Argentine singer-songwriter, and Sofia Wang, a musical actress, alongside students from seven international schools across the Yangtze River Delta region.

The participating schools included Western International School of Shanghai; NAS Jiaxing; Dehong Shanghai International Chinese School; Wellington College International Shanghai; NACIS Shanghai; The British International School Shanghai, Puxi; and Dulwich College Shanghai Pudong.

The concert aimed to connect cities across the region and showcase music as a bridge between East and West. It also highlighted the image of China's international schools, emphasizing their commitment to excellence in both education and the arts.

Editor-in-chief of Shanghai Daily Liu Qi gave the opening remarks and welcomed the audience.

"Music connects people across continents and culture and promotes harmony. Shanghai Daily has been committed to cross-cultural communications and here we gather not only celebrate artistic talents but also a world with harmony," she said.

"Together we celebrate the beauty of music and the power of unity. May the spirit of harmony resonate in our hearts."

For the first time, the event was broadcast live both domestically and internationally, allowing a global audience to experience the remarkable performances of the students.

Students, audiences and teachers were all thrilled to be part of the gathering, and looked forward to future opportunities to not only perform but also to exchange and connect.

Gudrun, a German spectator in her 80s, said all the performances were great and each group had different talents and she enjoyed every moment.

Gudrun, who also plays the piano, described her first visit to the Shanghai Concert Hall as magnificent. "I'm astonished to find about the progress China has made! I love music and the variety of performances today was amazing. I hope to come back again!"

Wang was also thrilled to join the students in singing along. "It's my first time to perform here and I had an amazing and excellent experience with the audience," she gushed.

"The 'Fight Song' tells us to be brave and courageous while the ending song 'We are the World' reflects unity, love and peace, and it's such a fun experience with so many students singing 'We are the World' together."

Misho Railic, international music teacher and music curriculum coordinator at NAS Jiaxing, said the violin and piano duo Meng Fanwei and Zhuang Yutong have been practicing and performing since the beginning of this year, and it was a natural extension for them to perform outside of the school.

"We have been working on their tone quality, expression and dynamics, and the piece is also a good fit among group singing performances to reflect the theme of harmony," Railic observed.

"It's their first time at the hall and for me as well. The hall has excellent acoustics and I also met some teachers and students I've known before, and this was also a meaningful opportunity to deepen my connection with the students and I absolutely look forward to coming back again."

Railic encourages performance-based learning, which greatly benefits students' musical growth and plays a key role in the school's overall music curriculum.

Lyra Li, a member of the Handbell Choir from Dehong Shanghai International Chinese School, described her experience with the group as unforgettable.

"The Shanghai Concert Hall is about twice as bigger than the stage we perform at school and it was an exciting experience seeing the big audience and hearing the sound spreading across the hall," she said.

"Handbell is an interesting instrument to learn. I'll surely come back again and I was also delighted to meet many new friends with common interests and various musical talent."

The choir performed two songs, "Sanna Sannanina" and "Chasing Cars," and provided the audience details about the handbell instrument. Handbells are kept at the school and on normal days members of the choir listen to music and learn the melodies to make sure they're on the beat.

The beautiful tones and startling visual appeal of handbells have been enchanting listeners for long. They are typically made of brass or bronze and produce specific notes when struck or shaken. These musical instruments first appeared around the 7th century, when monks crafted them to signal the passing of time and call worshipers to prayer.

The clear, resonant sound can be enjoyed alone or blended with other instruments in larger ensembles, adding a layer of complexity and interest to the overall performance.

Grade-four student Charlotte Hsieh has been with the WISS Community Choir of Western International School of Shanghai for one year and practiced around ten times for the performance with her group.

"It was fun though I was a little bit nervous but very excited to enter the big stage, which was very cool. I look forward to performing here again with much fun and excitement."

Vazquez prepared with the group for a few weeks prior to her performance and found her first experience at the concert hall wonderful. "I felt so honored being able to share my music and sing along with everybody. I had the chance to exchange nice dialogues with the young students at the backstage.

"It's my first time performing at this hall and I had the best experience ever. The music was so empowering and having the choirs singing behind me truly made the experience unforgettable. It became a mutual learning experience for all of us as well."

Michelle Zhu, whose daughter is performing as a member of the NACIS Secondary Choir of NACIS Shanghai, said it was fantastic to see so many students performing with such impressive style on stage.

"I've been taking my daughter to watch piano and classical music performances at the Shanghai Concert Hall since her early years, and she has been dreaming about the big stage since then."

Zhu was impressed with the performance style and also said that the event was an excellent opportunity to deepen the connections between students and teachers.