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At long last, China opens its doors

Federation

Marking the beginning of the 2023 WFIMC General Assembly (GA) in Hamamatsu, Japan, one of the main panel discussions of the conference was titled “the State of Classical Music in Asia”, featuring speakers Junichi Nihei (Japan Arts, Tokyo), Sungwon Yang (Cellist, Seoul), Tisa Ho (formerly Hong Kong Arts Festival, Hong Kong), and Sisi Ye (Schoenfield Competition, Harbin). The session was preceded by a keynote as well as moderated by WFIMC President Peter Paul Kainrath. 

While Japan and South Korea also went through strong isolation during the pandemic and imposed severe limitations affecting public events, it was China that faced the longest and most restrictive measures in order to battle the outbreak of Covid-19. During the past 6 months, however, it has opened up entirely and is now back on track to become once again one of the strongest voices and largest markets in classical music worldwide.

Reason enough for Peter Paul Kainrath, accompanied by WFIMC Vice President Sisi Ye, to follow up on the General Assembly meetings and visit a number of old and new Chinese members, as well as some stakeholders of the Chinese music life and musical education system. As the World Federation enjoys an important standing in the country, many of the representatives in the meetings with Kainrath and Ye expressed a great interest to strengthen their relationship with the WFIMC and its network. Above all, the Music City Harbin and its new mayor Zhang Qixiang are excited to host the 2025 General Assembly and will be fully committed to give the event the most international approach possible in order to make it a meaningful and relevant platform to exchange knowledge and best practices.

Confirming the 2025 GA: Peter Paul Kainrath and the mayor of Harbin, Zhang Qixiang

Peter Paul Kainrath with representatives of Hailun Piano Co.

The new opera theatre of the Shanghai Conservatory

At the Shanghai Conservatory

The Shanghai Conservatory of Music with his President Liao Changyong expressed an interest to go even further and establish a structural and strategic partnership with the Federation in order to establish a research project and innovative platform investigating the impact of International Music Competitions on Chinese as well as international music life in the past and the decades to come. They will provide further details about this project later in the year. 

Organised by the Ningbo Symphony Orchestra, the Ningbo International Vocal Competition is looking forward to its first edition after the pandemic and sees the WFIMC as a crucial means to open doors and position itself in international music life. Meanwhile, the Vice President of Beijing’s Central Conservatory of Music Qin Wenchen explained his institution´s current cooperation with the Governments of Qingdao and Xiamen, and the plan of reactivating the violin and piano competitions which were once World Federation members and were considered some of the most influential competitions in the country.

Finally, new Associate Members Amadeus.tv and Hailun Piano Factory, the latter one already having been part of the “Piano Makers Round Table” in Hamamatsu, expressed their great interest and confirmed their commitment to contribute and participate at Federation events. Like the others, their voices very much reflected everyone’s determination: to finally leave the pandemic behind and become part of the network, to get in direct contact and once again share experience and best practices.

 

Title Picture: Harbin Grand Theatre

©WFIMC 2023