Raging waves crash ashore with vigor, music sails eternally from GBA. 

On the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative, the 2023 Shenzhen Belt and Road International Music Season will be held from Sept. 8 to Oct. 31. This is a reunion of the Silk Road music and Shenzhen after four years. The reunion will also bring more surprises.

Core contents and arrangements show sincerity of music season

Why is this year's Shenzhen Belt and Road International Music Season worthy of anticipation? Let's start with a group of numbers.

More than 30 countries and regions, including Russia, Austria, Italy, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Iran, U.K, France and 32 outstanding artistic groups will participate. The scale of performances will exceed the previous ones.In 54 days, 35 repertoires will be staged, presenting a total of 59 performances with a number of“firsts.” Among them, there are world premieres, as well as China's premieres and Shenzhen's premieres."Greet Auspicious World in time of Prosperity · large-scale symphonic suite," and the musical play "Sanxingdui," two programs, will hold their world premieres in Shenzhen. Russia's Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra will debut in Shenzhen, presenting a marathon-typeconcert: "The Sound of Eternity - Tchaikovsky Symphonies in Concert." The chief conductor of the orchestra is the 91-year-old renowned Vladimir Fedoseyev in Russia;The famous ballet troupe of Béjart Ballet Lausanne in Switzerland will come to Shenzhen for the first time to perform the classic repertoire Bolero Nights;African actress Fatoumata Diawara will perform in China for the first time, presenting a special concert Memories of Mali;The National Ballet of China will perform the symphonic version of the dance drama Dream of the Red Chamber for the first time in Shenzhen;Angela Gheorghiu, a famous international opera singer, will hold a solo concert in Shenzhen for the first time;Chinese pianist Liu Xiaoyu, winner of the 18th Chopin International Piano Competition, will make his Shenzhen debut;Sir Stephen Hough, the first classical musician ever to receive the MacArthur Genius Award, will give a sole recital in Shenzhen;Unlike performances at previous classic music festivals, this year's festival also features the Night of the Peak closing ceremony performance, which brings the season into the stadium for the first time!

Of course，the highlights of the performance are not simply limited to the premieres. 

People-to-people communication is an important element of the construction of the Belt and Road, and it is also the humanistic foundation of the construction of the Belt and Road. It is often said that "civilization is wonderful because of exchanges." And this kind of excitement is also hidden in the programming of the current music season.

The programs in this season will facilitate the cooperation between international arts groups and local artistic talents, and realize "win-win collaboration." Béjart Ballet Lausanne will introduce 20 local young dancers in Shenzhen to perform on the stage; Indian British choreographer Aakash Odedra will join hands with Shenzhen resident artist Hu Shen to present modern dance Samsara. Austria's well-known choir, the Vienna Boys Choir, will invite the Shenzhen Children's Choir to sing together on stage. 

It is not difficult to see that this season is quite large in scale and full of sincerity, regardless of the invited countries and regions, participating troupes and artists, or the number of performances, quantity and quality.

Ciprian Teodorașcu, an artist representative of this year’s music festival, said more than 1,000 artists and arts organizations from more than 30 countries and regions along the "Belt and Road" will gather in Shenzhen to present spectacular performances and showcase innovation and development in the arts. It represents the extraordinary significance of the Belt and Road Initiative in promoting cultural exchanges and development.

Zhang Liping, member of Belt and Road International Music Season Arts Committee and vice dean of School of Music, CUHK(Shenzhen)， points out that Chinese and foreign artists are actually the symbols of their respective cultures. In the season, they reflect the distinctive heritage of their respective musical systems and deepen the research, documentation, dissemination and practice of historical, ethnic and regional music, and music-related practices within the Belt and Road.

The opening ceremony of 2019 Shenzhen Belt and Road International Music Season. 

"One of the concepts of the season has always been to be accessible to the public. All the performances of this year's season have certain ticket discounts with face value below 100 yuan. In addition, the season also features public service music performances in the piazzas, as well as extended activities such as art lectures and performance workshops. The public will be able to participate in the programs, get close to the music masters, and feel the charm of music.

When culture becomes the core competitiveness of a city, only the innovator advances, only the innovator is competitive, only the innovator wins. Music season is one of Shenzhen's many innovations.

Since its inception in 2017, the Shenzhen Belt and Road International Music Season has been successfully held for three sessions, inviting 58 art groups from more than 60 countries and regions, and about 2,500 outstanding artists, bringing 72 wonderful performances and related art extension activities. It has made a positive contribution to the promotion of artistic exchanges among countries and regions along the Belt and Road, and to the promotion of mutual understanding of civilizations and people's hearts.

UNESCO's Assistant Director-General for Culture Francesco Bandarin sent a congratulatory letter to Shenzhen in 2017 for the launch of the Belt and Road International Music Season. He said that the organization of the season is an important symbol of the innovation and vitality of the city of Shenzhen, which has a bright future. As an important member of UNESCO's Creative Cities Network, Shenzhen "sets an example for the world in terms of artistic achievement, humanistic development and cultural diversity." "We know that Shenzhen is the 'capital of design,' and in the future we may say that Shenzhen is the 'capital of music'.”  

At present, Shenzhen is accelerating the pace of building a city strong in culture, to create a Greater Bay Area Music and Culture Arena.Produced by the Shenzhen，a number of literary masterpieces win praises. The dance drama Wing Chun, featuring "dance + martial arts" and "double intangible heritages,” makes the Guangdong temperament popular throughout the country. The large-scale symphonic vocal suite Heroes,the AI-based dance drama AI in Love debut at the National Theater for the Performing Arts and won the applause. 

"There are many languages in the world, but we have a common language, the music."Now, the return of the Shenzhen Belt and Road International Music Season will offer a “quality meal” in the cultural "menu" of Shenzhen. " It will also build a new link between Chinese and foreign music, a bridge of communications with the world.