Lighting up Shanghai's summer with outdoor music concerts | City | Shanghai

In the evening breeze and cicadas chirping, an outdoor concert opens at the Shanghai Urban Lawn Music Square. On stage, performers from Italy are playing Vivaldi's "Four Seasons". Off stage, Grandma gently shakes a fan for her grandson, while the little boy leans against Grandma and listens attentively to the music. The air is filled with the smell of floral water.

From July 8th to 15th, the Shanghai Summer Music Festival held 7 concerts here. In the bustling city center, it is rare to have such a large lawn surrounded by green trees, and there are even Chinese and foreign musicians lining up to play. There is no need to buy tickets for the outdoor concert, and over 1300 admission tickets are available for free booking every night. The competition is based on hand speed. It doesn't matter if you don't get it, you can watch the live broadcast at home while blowing on the air conditioning and eating watermelon. Over the past decade, the Shanghai Urban Lawn Concert has attracted over 7.05 million viewers both offline and online.

This year, the Shanghai Summer Music Festival also launched the first "City wide Classical" event, where young performers walked to the streets and alleys of Shanghai with their instruments, bringing a performance of blending emotions and scenery: Mozart's "Serenade" drifted out of the old western-style houses at the Hengfu Style Museum; Under the sunset, from the Wukang Building came the flute playing Mendelssohn's "Song of Spring"; In Xiangyang Park, where the night falls, a saxophone solo "Seagull" brushes away the heat... This weekend, they will also go to M+Blackstone, Xujiahui Academy, and Longhua Pagoda Shadow Space to meet the audience unexpectedly, integrating music into urban life.

"Classical throughout the city" provided by the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra in Xiangyang Park

Step out of the concert hall and draw a music map for the city

Summer is the perfect season for outdoor performances. Every year during this season, the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra holds a "Forest Music Festival" in the northern suburbs of the city, the BBC "Leisure Music Festival" is held in Hyde Park, and the New York Philharmonic Orchestra holds an outdoor concert in Central Park.

"The Shanghai City Lawn Music Square reminds people of Central Park in New York. Every summer, the New York Philharmonic Orchestra holds outdoor concerts in Central Park. Everyone puts on picnic mats and lays them on the ground, sitting or lying down, looking up at the stars while listening to symphonies. Being so close to art and nature in the center of Shanghai is a rare experience," said fan Zheng Ying.

Provided by the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra for the outdoor concert of the Burning Point Vocal Orchestra

This year, the "World's Best Chamber Orchestra" Italian Musicians Ensemble, Zhang Fang, who won the "BBC Youth Musician Award" at the age of 17, Gao Bowen and Lu Jinhua's Cross border Pingtan Concert, Shanghai Shenshi Pi Ensemble, Spark Vocal Orchestra, and the highly ethnic HAYA Orchestra have successively made appearances on outdoor stages. Among the many popular music festival brands among young people, the Shanghai Summer Music Festival has become a unique example. A music concert that combines cross-border integration and appreciation of both refined and popular elements, bringing together a diverse audience.

The Italian Ensemble Orchestra's Outdoor Concert at the Shanghai City Music Lawn, provided by the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra

This is not the first time Zheng Ying has attended an open-air concert at a summer music festival. Every time she comes, she receives rain jackets and mosquito repellent supplies prepared by the organizers in advance for the audience. If there is heavy rain or typhoon before the performance, she will also receive notification of the cancellation of the performance as soon as possible. In her opinion, it is these details that showcase the quality of a music festival and the warmth of a city.

"One year, the famous Japanese drum performance group 'Drum Children' came to the summer music festival. During the performance, it rained heavily, but the performers were not affected at all. Their drumbeats were as brave as knights and as precise as surgical procedures. The audience couldn't bear to leave, wearing raincoats and umbrellas to listen to the performance. At the closing ceremony, the artists on stage bowed deeply to the audience." Zheng Ying recalled.

This year, in addition to 7 open-air concerts at the Urban Lawn Music Square in Huangpu District, the Shanghai Summer Music Festival has also launched its first "City wide Classical" pop-up on the streets and alleys, drawing a music map for the city. Fan Jiaying, who graduated from Shanghai Band Academy, appeared in a T-shirt and jeans. With just a flute and a score stand, anywhere can become her stage.

Although she is from Shanghai, many of the places where Fan Jiaying plays are her first time visiting, such as Hengfu Style Museum and Xujiahui Academy. "What impressed me most was the Wukang Road Tourism Consulting Center. There were many tourists coming and going, but many people stood quietly beside us and listened to the concert. There was also M+Blackstone, surrounded by wutong trees, with the sound of cicadas rising and falling. Interestingly, the more I played, the more excited the cicadas were, as if they were playing a duet with me."

Flute player Fan Jiaying provided by the "Flash" Shanghai Symphony Orchestra in Xiangyang Park

Fan Jiaying believes that "stepping out of the concert hall" is only the first step, and more importantly, designing the music and form to complement the environment and interact deeply with the audience. There is no sound amplification equipment for outdoor performances, and the audience is very close to her. After the performance, there will be enthusiastic viewers coming to chat with her, which is an experience that has never been experienced before in a concert hall. "Classical music is still relatively niche, and not many people actually buy tickets to enter the concert hall. I hope more people can leave the concert hall and let more people inadvertently hear such a performance, planting a small seed of music in their hearts."

"Classical throughout the city" provided by the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra at the Hengfu Style Museum

Three international performances per night, becoming a "sweet annoyance" for music fans

This is the first time in three years that the Shanghai Summer Music Festival has welcomed the return of overseas famous artists and bands. However, long-awaited music fans have "sweet troubles". One night, at Jaguar Shanghai Symphony Hall, there was a chamber music concert by the New York Philharmonic Orchestra; In the performing arts hall, it was a trio concert brought by Daniel Ottensamer, the clarinet chief of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, and his friends; On the outdoor lawn, there is an Italian musician ensemble. "All are famous artists and groups, wanting to listen to every performance, but lacking in skills," said fan Jiang Zhou.

Provided by Daniel Ottensamer, the clarinet chief of the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, and his friends, the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra

The summer music festival has gathered 31 performances in just two weeks, which is overwhelming. Many nights, music fans face difficult choices. Some viewers even buy tickets for two performances in one night, and after listening in the first half, they switch to another place to listen in the second half.

"Hello, Shanghai!" Before the performance of the Altensamer clarinet trio, Daniel Altensamer warmly greeted the audience in Chinese. The three performers come from the two major "heavenly bands" of Vienna Philharmonic and Berlin Philharmonic, and are old friends who have known each other for over 15 years. Besides music, they will run, play football, ride mountain bikes together, and even go shopping together. The time spent together brings them a tacit understanding on stage. After the concert, several old friends plan to explore Shanghai's architecture and cuisine together.

Nathan Vick, a cellist and performer from the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, is also unforgettable for Shanghai. As soon as he got off the plane and couldn't wait to check in at the hotel, he searched everywhere for Shanghai style fried pork. The taste that he yearned for was not found in New York and has been encountered in Hong Kong, but it still suits his taste best in Shanghai. "The New York Philharmonic is an old friend of the Shanghai Summer Music Festival. Since 2015, we have been coming to Shanghai almost every summer. Although it was interrupted for three years, we have no sense of unfamiliarity with this city or its audience."

After three years, the performers of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra returned to the Shanghai Summer Music Festival. The Shanghai Symphony Orchestra provided

The Italian Musician Ensemble performed two performances at the summer music festival, one indoors and one outdoors, with slightly different repertoire. Badminton and piano player Francisco Bucharella remembers that the band's first visit to China was in Shanghai in 2006. "Shanghai is a barometer of China's music trend, and over the years, we have witnessed the rapid development of this city."

Italian Musician Ensemble Outdoor Concert Provided by Shanghai Symphony Orchestra

Every summer, music festivals are held around the world, why choose Shanghai? Bucharela said, "The Shanghai Summer Music Festival has been successfully held for many years and has established its position on the international music stage. It is definitely a music festival that attracts attention and has artistic value. Famous musicians and young and promising music industry stars from all over the world gather here. The Shanghai Summer Music Festival is a microcosm of contemporary China - a combination of tradition and innovation, not only reflected in the fields of art and culture, but also in all aspects of daily life."

Bring the concert to the "metaverse" to attract young audiences

In addition to indoor and outdoor activities, the Shanghai Summer Music Festival also held concerts in the metaverse this year. These days, Zhou Ping, the leader of the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, has been obsessed with listening to concerts in the "metaverse" every night. Open the Metafilm app on your phone, choose a virtual avatar for yourself, and you can wander in the virtual space, make different friends, and watch the live broadcast of the Shanghai Summer Music Festival together. "There is a vast space to explore here. At the beginning, you can hear some square noise in the music square. Entering the 'Light and Shadow Hall', the sound effect is very good, which is a very special experience."

Listening to Music in the Metaverse

At this year's opening concert, two symphonic works called "Metaverse" were performed: one by young composer Liang Haoyi and one by Icelandic composer Anna Sowalsdottir. In Liang Haoyi's view, the development of technology is influencing the development of culture. The emergence of the concept of "metaverse" has given artists new creative space and audiences new ways to listen. "In my opinion, the 'metaverse' is a creative soil that urgently needs to be explored, which can stimulate greater creativity. I hope to use music to reflect the changes of our times and provide a different perspective for our generation of creators. I am not afraid of being replaced by AI, and I am looking forward to one day, Beethoven's works, my works, and AI's works will be performed in the same concert."

The opening concert focuses on the "Metaverse" provided by the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra

For a music festival, having good music is not enough. The experience outside of music is very important. At the Jaguar Shanghai Symphony Hall, by scanning the QR code of the "AR interactive device", viewers can enter a virtual real combination scene through their mobile phone screen, capturing astronauts floating in the air and shooting stars passing through the sky. Here, you can choose your own background music and play an adventure game. At the concert venue, the limited edition ice cream "Planet Suite" and "Conductor" of the Summer Music Festival were very popular, and various cultural and creative peripherals were also loved by the audience.

A citizen participating in the summer music festival, holding the exclusive ice cream for the festival, took a photo with the installation. Photo taken by Dong Tianye

The Shanghai Summer Music Festival exists in music halls, outdoor squares, unexpected flashes on the streets and alleys, and also in the "metaverse". Multi scene and multi form interaction make the "high cold" symphony more down-to-earth and integrate into urban life with a younger and more diverse appearance.