An auditory treat for CIIE media

Journalists at the CIIE can look forward to enjoying live music while dining at the news center, thanks to the Lunch Time Concert program by the Shanghai Concert Hall.

From Nov 4 to 10, a chamber concert will take place at the news center daily during lunch hours, featuring performances of Chinese folk opera, a string trio and Chinese folk instruments.

"We are the only theater in the country to put on this kind of chamber concert all year round," Fang Jing, head of the Shanghai Concert Hall, said in an exclusive interview with China Daily. "We are honored to participate in the CIIE and share our most popular project with friends of the media from home and abroad."

The Lunch Time Concert program was launched in 2012 when the Shanghai Concert Hall decided to open its gates to audiences in the day. A ticket was priced at 10 yuan ($1.48) when the program started and it still costs the same. For this price, a ticket holder gets to enjoy a cup of tea and be seated near the performing musicians.

"The ambience is intimate and relaxed, but the music quality is never compromised, because the audiences are no rookies — some would come with the music sheet, and sometimes artists would even say that they are inspired by the audience," said Fang.

All the musicians performing at the CIIE Lunch Time Concert series were chosen from previous batches of performers at the Shanghai Concert Hall. The Shanghai Kunju Company would be the first to perform at the CIIE lunch time concert on Nov 4.

"We have worked with the artists and institutions to create a program that can best showcase China's art and culture to a global audience," Fang said.

"We will present two episodes from two traditional plays. While one features martial art choreography, the other depicts a romantic scene that illustrates the refined beauty of Kunqu," said Gu Haohao, director of the company.

"Kunju is one of the oldest folk opera forms in China, with a history spanning 600 years. We want to do our best to present the aesthetics and elegance at the exhibition which is a window to the world. I believe opera art is the finest cultural ambassador in international communications."

A fusion band named Etoile will play on the next day. The six-piece group is comprised of a guitarist, cellist, flutist, a pipa player, huqin player and a percussionist. The program will be a combination of Chinese and Western music.

Meanwhile, the other performers will combine China's traditional or ethnic music with Western creations. There will also be a concert featuring Pingtan, a narrative music performance popular in the Yangtze Delta region.

Aside from musical performances, artists and craftsmen from Shanghai's Duoyunxuan studio will also showcase their handicrafts at the news center of the CIIE. One of the crafts on display would be woodblock print making, an intangible cultural heritage of China.