Talking in a common language

Trio Sonata from Mexico. [Photo by Verde Yang/For China Daily]

"The level of young Chinese musicians is very high and they are easy to play with. Though it's difficult to communicate through language, we are good at using body language and we can understand each other when we perform music together."

The Eurochestries Festival was founded in 1989 by French composer and chorus conductor Marcel Corneloup to promote the orchestral practice of young musicians aged 15 to 25, through international exchanges.

In early 2016, Beijing-based violinist and conductor Liu Zheng made a proposal to the committee of the festival to bring it to China annually.

Having participated in several Eurochestries festivals held across the Europe, Liu, who studied music at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna from 2000 to 2003, wanted to organize a festival in his home country with an aim of bringing wider music exposure to Chinese students.

"I was impressed by the atmosphere of the music festival when I went there for the first time in 2000. The musicians from different countries not only performed together but also lived together, like a summer camp," recalls Liu. "I took some Chinese symphony orchestras to Eurochestries festivals but I wanted more young Chinese musicians to experience the festival and benefit from it."