London International Chinese Music Festival Revives Silk Road Lute Music

Review by China News
https://m.chinanews.com/wap/detail/chs/zw/10263211.shtml

This summer, the 2024 Second London International Chinese Music Festival expanded to include five concerts in Birmingham, Cambridge, and London, as well as a national music summer school, masterclasses and ensemble sessions, salons and workshops, dual-certified examinations and competitions.

According to reports, the festival was organised by the renowned UK-based pipa and guqin performer Dr Cheng Yu and hosted by Chinese Arts UK, the London Youlan Qin Society, and the UKCM, with support from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) and the CHINA NATIONALITIES ORCHESTRA SOCIETY.

The festival received backing from the UK Arts Council. Dr Cheng Yu highlighted one of the festival's key features: the premiere of the original concert, "Lutes on the Silk Road." Musicians performed seven types of lutes from the Silk Road, including the Chinese pipa, Kazakh dombra, Turkish balaman, Iranian tar, and Syrian oud, recreating the music of the ancient Silk Road. Chris Goodwin, President of the British Lute Society, stated that the lute is the soul instrument of Silk Road cultural exchange, and "Lutes on the Silk Road" has become a conduit for China’s connections with Central Asia, the Middle East, and Western cultures.

Additionally, the main concert of the festival focused on classics from both Eastern and Western music, such as including Youlan Qin Society's "Three Variations on the Parting at Yangguan Pass," Li Pengpeng's "Creak of the Oars" and "Drunken Ecstasy", Yang Kang's "Initial Heart" Huang Ziyang's "Czardas," Zhou Jingyu's "Spanish Gypsy Dance", and the British Chinese Music Society’s arrangements of "The Song of Burying Flowers" and "Butterfly Lovers." The programme also included Tan Dun's film score "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" and James Batty's original five-string pipa and piano piece "Red Bell and Yellow Bell."

The 2025 London International Chinese Music Festival is scheduled to take place in late August next year. Dr Cheng Yu stated that the festival aims to establish a unique platform and bridge for the exchange of Chinese and British music cultures.

中新网伦敦8月4日电 (记者 欧阳开宇)

2024第二届伦敦国际中国音乐节日前举行。 今夏，2024第二届伦敦国际中国音乐节范围扩充到包含伯明翰、剑桥、伦敦的5场音乐会，以及国乐夏校、大师课与合奏课、雅集与工作坊、中英双认证考级和比赛等。 据介绍，2024第二届伦敦国际中国音乐节由著名旅英琵琶古琴演奏家程玉策划，由中国艺术UK、伦敦幽兰琴社和英国中乐团主办，伦敦大学亚非学院和中国民族管乐学会协办，该音乐节获得英国国家艺术局支持。

据程玉介绍，此次音乐节的亮点之一体现在原创音乐会的首演——“丝绸之路上的鲁特琴”。从中国，到中亚，至中东，音乐家们演奏了丝路上的七种鲁特琴，包括中国的琵琶、哈萨克斯坦的冬不拉、土耳其的巴拉曼、伊朗的塔尔和叙利亚的乌德琴等，重现了来自古丝绸之路的音乐。 英国鲁特琴协会主席Chris Goodwin表示，鲁特琴是丝绸之路文化交流的灵魂乐器，“丝绸之路上的鲁特琴”成为中国连接中亚、中东，以及西方文化的载体。

此外，音乐节主场音乐会聚焦东西方音乐经典，如幽兰琴社的“阳关三叠”、杨康古筝和钢琴的“初心”、黄子洋的二胡与钢琴和鸣的“查尔达斯”等。

据介绍，2025伦敦国际中国音乐节将于明年8月下旬举办。程玉表示，音乐节将致力于为中英音乐文化的交流建立一个独特的平台和桥梁。