Pianist Lang Lang playing Rhapsody in Blue at Central Park concert. [China Daily]

 

Although China now has more pop and rock festivals in summer, there is little classical music.

"In Chinese people's mind, classical music means a high-brow audience, sitting properly in a hall," Yu told China Daily on Friday before giving a speech on classical music at Sanlitun Village, as part of the Audi on Stage summer concert.

"The open-air concert offers an opportunity for the uninitiated to get a taste of classical music. It's also an opportunity to gather with friends and enjoy drinks, snacks and conversation, with the orchestra providing a soundtrack.

"Just imagine, people spread out a picnic blanket, feasting on gourmet goodies and listening to live music as the sun sets and the stars reveal themselves," Yu says.

The Shanghai-born conductor says his hometown did once have the summer concert tradition. Fuxing Park, built in 1909 and originally named France Park, often had summer concerts before 1949 and the 130-year-old Shanghai Symphony Orchestra even performed there.

Yu wants to revive this by launching Music in the Summer Air (MISA), an annual outdoor festival in Shanghai.

He has invited Charles Dutoit, music director of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and principal conductor of Philadelphia Orchestra, to co-direct MISA, which will run from Aug 12 to 22.

"I'm excited to embark on a new and interesting venture in China," says maestro Dutoit. "We are aiming at a successful festival whose future should develop positively in the years to come and hopefully become one of the most important summer festivals in Asia."

The festival program's repertoire ranges from solo recital works to chamber music and very large-scale symphonic works performed by Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, China Philharmonic Orchestra and Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and leading world musicians including Chinese pianist Yundi Li, Russian pianist Kirill Gerstein, Canadian violinist Chantal Juillet, South Korean soprano Sumi Jo and Chinese baritone Liao Changyong who just performed in the Central Park concert.

In a pre-program event, the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra and Shanghai Municipal Education Commission co-organized a summer camp for student players. Led by 85-year-old conductor Cao Peng, a jury auditioned thousands of 15-year-old and older students early this month. The selected players have formed a youth orchestra that will receive training by MISA soloists and give concerts in MISA.

"Many of Shanghai's high schools have a tradition of students' orchestra," says Cao, who has specialized in discovering and coaching young talent ever since retiring from the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra.

"I don't expect, and most of the players themselves don't want to become professional musicians, but (the idea is) to develop an interest in and a love of music. Of course, some of them would take it up as a profession one day, which will enhance the music tradition of the city," the veteran conductor says.