Building a Bridge of Friendship, This Group of Chinese Players Goes to Europe for Music | Youth | Chinese Players
Nearly 50 young performers from Shanghai, Zhejiang, Chengdu, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Shenzhen and other places recently traveled to Belgrade, Serbia and Kotor, Montenegro to participate in the 2023 Bridge-cIAO International Music Competition.
Under the guidance of the Shanghai Association for Foreign Cultural Exchange and other organizations, the Shanghai Center for Foreign Education Exchange, together with the Belgrade Cultural Center and the Kotor Art Festival, has jointly established an international music competition in China and Europe for the first time. The competition is named after the Chinese character "Bridge" and the Serbian and Italian transliteration of "Hello" as "CIAO". The competition received support from the Shanghai Magnolia International Friendship Exchange Foundation and other organizations.
After the online video preliminary and offline live semi-finals of the domestic stage in China, the advanced contestants, composed of outstanding young professional musicians and amateur music practitioners from China, Serbia, Montenegro, the United Kingdom, Austria, Australia, Russia, and Japan, will meet with Belgrade. On July 24th, the semi-finals will be held in the form of a friendly invitation competition and exchange concert, competing in five events: bassoon, oboe, flute, chamber music, and piano. Then, they will go to the ancient and beautiful Kotor Concert Hall in Montenegro to hold the finals, award ceremony, and award-winning contestant music concert.
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Commander Tang Muhai and gold medalist Ning Feng from the 51st Paganini International Violin Competition serve as honorary advisors for the competition. Tang Muhai said that the hosting of the Bridge CIAO International Music Competition is conducive to allowing the world to hear more of the voices of China and Balkan countries, and see these new music talents stand out. After reviewing the information of the contestants, Tang Muhai said, "Many teenagers are students from music schools at home and abroad. They are really cute, and I really want to bring them all back to the Harbin Symphony Orchestra where I am currently located."
The competition jury was composed of former Vice Dean of Shanghai Conservatory of Music and violinist Hua Tianren, President of Tesla Union University in Serbia Vladimir Tomashevic, and Art Director of Kotor International Music Festival Retmiti Martinovich, along with former Vice Dean of Belgrade Conservatory of Music Deyan Sinadinovich, Director of the Orchestral Department of Shanghai Conservatory of Music Liu Zhaolu, and Executive Director of Montenegro International Music Festival Victor Varosi. The Chinese organizers, Shanghai Dongbao Cultural Operations Co., Ltd., and the Serbia and Montenegro organizers are actively preparing for the European stage competition. Zhang Wanzhe, Deputy Director of the Organizing Committee and soprano singer, as well as Tamara Mikovi ć, Deputy Secretary General of the Organizing Committee and Serbian Flute player, devoted themselves wholeheartedly to preparing for the competition and welcoming the arrival of players from various countries.