With the warm spring breeze and melodious music, Shanghai Spring International Music Festival will be held grandiosely for 33 times from Apr. 28, 2016 to May 18, 2016, which is sponsored jointly by Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture, Radio, Film & TV, Shanghai Federation of Literary and Art Circles and Shanghai Media Group, and organized jointly by Shanghai Musicians Association, Shanghai Conservatory of Music and Shanghai Oriental Broadcasting Center. More than ten music bands and artists from China, USA, Germany, Britain, Switzerland and South Korea, etc will bring us 51 brilliant music and dance performances, including 42 music performances and 9 dance performances It is worth mentioning that the opening performance of the Festival is Classical, Inheritance –Excellent Works Concert of SSIMFs, which is the best answer to audiences in Shanghai after her 57 years of evolution.

Push Original Works, Motivate Composing Vitality

As the music and dance festival with the longest history in New China, numerous classical works have been performed in Shanghai Spring International Music Festival, such as Ode to Red Flag, Butterfly Lovers, White-haired Girl, etc, and many famous artist and masters in modern music and dance field have been cultivated, such as Zhu Jianer, Lv Qiming, He Zhanhao, Chen Gang, Yu Lina, Min Huifen, Hu Rongrong, Ling Guiming, Liao Changyong, Xin Lili, Luo Xiaoci and Duan Aiai, etc.

The Festival will further base on the concept of “new”, and perform 13 original performances and 6 excellent young artists special performances, such as New Dream on Sea X,Fantasy of Silk Road New Orchestral and Vocal Music Works Concert, and Maritime Silk Road – Guangdong National Orchestra of China Concert which representing spectacular scenery along Silk Road, original musical Melody on Sea which narrates the theme of Anti-Japanese War, Splendid Oriental Dream – Shanghai Chinese Orchestra 2016-2017 Performance Season Opening Concert which explores the diversity of music creation, Spring Rhythm IV, Folk Concerto Special Performance Concert of Shanghai Conservatory of Music, and excellent dances such as Shanghai Dance Youth Choreographer Experimental Theatre, large poetic dance Red, original modern ballet Songof Everlasting Regret etc, which give a full play of powerful original vitality of Shanghai music and dance.

Inheritance of Classic, Megamix of Maestro

Besides the powerful promotion of new artist and new works, heritage of classic has been the highlight in “Shanghai Spring”. Within 21 days of the Festival, 18 classical performances will be displayed on the stage ofShanghai.

On Apr. 28, Classical, Inheritance –Excellent Works Concert of SSIMFs will be the first performance of 33rd SSIMF held in Concert Hall of Shanghai Symphony Orchestra. The excellent works incubated from  previous sessions of “Shanghai Spring” will be performed together, such as symphonic poem Ode to Red Flag, violin concerto Butterfly Lovers, Sketch of Guizhou Mountains,Second Erhu Rhapsody, and Winter Snow composed for oboe solo, trio percussion, harp and orchestra. It has not only excellent symphonic poem which eulogizes revolutionary spirit of bravery and indomitability, but also violin concerto which symbolizes exchange and fusion of national culture, it has not only symphony suite depicting beautiful rivers and mountains of motherland, but also superb national instrumental music works which displays virtuosity and the composition concept integrating east and west styles.
At the same time, White-haired Girl,coagulated with talents and painstaking efforts of several generations ofShanghaiartists, will greet her 2000th performances in Shanghai Grand Theater. Chief performers Fan Xiaofeng and Wu Husheng of Shanghai Ballet shall play the role of White-haired Girl and Da Chun separately, and main performer Li Chenchen will play the role of Xi Er. From the initial script of White-haired Girl created by Tian Han, to the ballet of same name inShanghai, and to the global  reputation of this performance, it has a glory history and is the crystallization ofShanghaiartists for several generations. This play once won the award of Twentieth Century Dance Classics of Chinese nation, and the performance has been performing for several generations, which cultivated ballet performing artists such as Ling Guiming, Shi Zhongqin, Xin Lili and Mao Huifang etc. This performance is the 2000thperformance, which will be performed by Shanghai Ballet loading performers Fan Xiaofeng and Wu Husheng in playing the roles of White-haired Girl and Da Chun separately, and the main performer Li Chenchen shall play the role of Xi Er. The audiences can feel preciseness and persistent pursuit of the new generation of performers in inheritance of classic and art. In addition, “Splendour of Spring” – Huang Ying’s Solo Concert, Huang Mengla Violin Recital, dance drama Crested Ibis, etc will be put on in the Festival.

It is worth mentioning that the series of “Tribute to Masters” which have been pushed since last year, will bring three performances Devotion to Motherland – Lv Qiming Special Concert, Zhao Jiping’s Works Concertand Everlasting Flute Tune–Memorial Concert for the Flute Master Yu Xunfa

International Masterpiece, Silk Road Impression
Not only domestic famous bands and artists attend the Festival, 13 foreign special concerts are sufficient to enable audiences to see masters and masterpieces in Shanghai. The classical original music drama My Fair Lady, which has won six prizes of Tony Award, the highest honor in drama field, will be performed in Daning Theater from Apr. 29 to May 3. On May 13,Argentinasinger Jose Cura will display his super power as Global Top Four Tenors inShanghaiOrientalArtCenter. What is rather rare to see is that the versatile maestro Myung-Whun will bring us a piano recital in Concert Hall of Shanghai Symphony Orchestra. The Festival shall highlight the times theme of “One  Belt and One Road” economic and cultural belt. Xu Mengdong, the composer of New Dream on Sea X – “Fantasy of Silk Road” Orchestral and Vocal Music Works Concert, and Zhou Xianglin, etc have created a series of original works which depict the customs, historical vicissitude and prospects of the silk road region: from Tianshan Mountain to the desert wilderness, from the silk road to the vast waters, these works have also absorbed many minority musical elements, which are full of powerful and exotic flavors, and have explained the connotation of the theme of “Silk Road Imagination”.Maritime Silk Road– Guangdong National Orchestra Concert is created mainly by Zhao Jiping and Jing Jianshu etc, which is display beautiful scenery of maritime silk road. The multiple-media poetic dance Relay of Silk Road can be called as new chapter of ancient oriental dance regarding silk road, which will make bold exploration on the wide stage crossingXi’an,ChinatoEast Africacoast. The sponsor said on that day that these performances are to display deep understanding of modern artists to “New East Africa Coastal Silk Road” and the close relationship and fusing and exchange between various cities and nations. On May 11, 12 and 15, three concerts will be performed by the traditional instruments bands and dance troupes from Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan etc, displaying strong exotic Central Asia charming and flavors. The closing concert has same theme of “Silk Road Impression”, the Tehran Symphony Orchestra will perform the Stravinsky’s Firebird, Berlioz’s Fantastic Symphony, etc. as well as a work of Iranian composer in Shanghai Oriental Art Center.