Overseas renowned artists and bands have arrived one after another, and Shanghai Concert Hall has released the 2023-24 Music Season Performers | Pianists | Music Season

On August 10th, cellist Chen Yibai and pianist Shi Boyang, born in the 2000s, performed the second movement of Beethoven's Piano and Cello Sonata in F Major. In the music, the menu for the 2023-24 music season at Cadillac Shanghai Concert Hall has been opened. The new music season covers six sections: "special presentation", "classical", "diverse", "traditional Chinese music", "art education", and "activities", with a total of 263 concerts and multiple public welfare aesthetic education activities.

Violins such as Wadim Lepin, Suwa Naoko, Daniel Hope, Leonidas Cavacos, pianists Bezod Abduremov, Chen Sa, Zheng Mingxun, cellists Shekou Kane Mason, Wang Jian, soprano singer Angela Georgiou, as well as Vienna Berlin Philharmonic Musicians Ensemble, Berlin Philharmonic String Quintet, British Ensemble, Borodin Quartet, Bavarian Broadcasting Chamber Orchestra, King Singers Choir, Paris Boys Choir, and many other classical and famous groups from home and abroad will successively come to the Shanghai Concert Hall.

The theme of the new music season is "Meeting When Music Rises". Fang Liang, General Manager of Shanghai Concert Hall, said, "We hope to use music to bring people of different ages, regions, and genders together, draw strength from music, and integrate Shanghai's urban culture with life. It is both artistic and lively, enhancing everyone's sense of participation, achievement, and happiness."

Challenge: Ning Feng performs the Bach Marathon, commanded by Andreas Odensamer

The new music season will start from September 22nd to 24th at the mini music festival "Bach Plan". As a resident artist, violinist Ning Feng will join hands with oboe player Huang Zheng, young violinist Wang Shihan, and the neoclassical chamber orchestra to bring three full-fledged concerts, performing Bach's complete "Unaccompanied Violin Sonata and Suite" and Bach's "Violin Concerto". At that time, the Bach Plan will also launch 3 lectures, 1 sharing session, 1 screening session, and outdoor markets.

Ning Feng said, "After performing these pieces, it takes 5 and a half to 6 hours to perform so many works continuously within three days. It is also a great challenge for us, but we are very looking forward to sharing this violin music journey with everyone."

On November 26th, the Shanghai Concert Hall will present to the audience the British Ensemble concert version of Handel's opera "RhodLinda". This is one of Handel's most popular and important opera works, and the soundtrack for the movie Parasite also uses a RhodLinda aria. The British Ensemble's record of the entire play "RhodLinda" in 2021 won awards such as the Phonograph Magazine Annual Record Selection and the BBC Music Magazine Monthly Record Selection. For this tour, conductor Harry Bickert will join the British ensemble, which is known as one of the best ancient orchestras in Europe, as well as the most active falsetto tenors in classical music today, such as Justin Davis and Aye Nussbaum Cohen, to the Shanghai Concert Hall. This is also the Asian premiere of this version.

On July 6th next year, Berlin Philharmonic signed clarinet soloist Andreas Odensamer to join hands with the "ancient" and modern Swiss Basel Chamber Orchestra to bring the closing concert of the 2023-24 season. Andreas Odensamer has visited Shanghai several times as a soloist, and interestingly, this time he will take the stage as a conductor. Music critic Bi Yi said, "In addition to Brahms' works, this concert also plans to bring a new work by a very young Swiss composer. This is the last concert of the new season, and I believe it will be a perfect ending."

Diversity: New and old friends gather in the concert hall, with everything from soloists, chamber music, to vocals

In terms of solo concerts, the 2023-24 music season will gather champions of four major international violin competitions - Queen Elizabeth International Violin Competition, Tchaikovsky International Violin Competition, Sibelius International Violin Competition, and Paganini International Violin Competition.

In addition to the Paganini International Violin Competition champion Ning Feng, there are also violinist Wadim Lebin, who became the youngest winner of the Queen Elizabeth International Violin Competition at the age of 17, Japanese violinist Kazuko Suwa, who won the gold medal at the Tchaikovsky Violin Competition at the age of 18, and violinist Leonidas Cavacos, who has won three international competitions: the Sibelius Competition, the Paganini Competition, and the Naumburg Grand Prix.

In terms of chamber music, the audience will see a classical feast brought by chamber orchestras composed of musicians from the top ten international symphony orchestras, including the Vienna Berlin Philharmonic Musicians Ensemble, Berlin Philharmonic String Quintet, Bavarian Broadcasting Chamber Orchestra, Borodin Quartet, Paris Orchestra Hilbar Octet, Salzburg Chamber Orchestra, and more.

Asian musicians will shine on stage in the new season. On April 20th next year, the "Friendship Trio" concert, composed of South Korean conductor and pianist Zheng Mingxun, Japanese violinist Kyoko Takezawa, and Chinese cellist Wang Jian, will make its debut at the Shanghai Concert Hall, presenting piano trios by Tchaikovsky and Brahms. On December 15th, Chen Sa, who has collaborated with the concert hall for many years and has achieved excellent results in the Leeds, Chopin, and Kleppen International Piano Competition, will bring classic works by three musicians: Beethoven, Bach, and Bartok.

Listening to ancient music and going to the Shanghai Concert Hall has become a consensus among Shanghai music fans. In the new season, Swiss keyboard instrument player and pianist Michel Kleiner, Swiss lute player Peter Croton, Copenhagen Ancient Orchestra, Canadian Rhapsody Ancient Orchestra, and others will all perform.

In terms of vocals, during the Shanghai International Art Festival in China, soprano Angela Georgiou will hold a solo concert. The King Singer Choir, who has been away from Shanghai Concert Hall for 7 years, will also return. The Paris Boys' Choir, born in 1907, will visit in May next year.

Cross disciplinary: an experiment in physical, musical, and visual aspects that connects people to each other

The Cadillac Shanghai Concert Hall "Le ∞" brand series was founded in 2016, with the theme of exploring innovative fusion of music, supporting outstanding musicians to integrate and innovate in music creation. The 2024 "Infinite Music Festival" will be held from March to April next year, soliciting "performance works" and "creative promotional works" from musicians around the world.

Le Infinite invited the Berlin Musical Theatre Troupe "Nico and the Navigator" to perform two works. On April 26th and 28th next year, Asia will premiere "The Sound of Silence" and "Power and Freedom", showcasing Schubert's art songs and Beethoven's works through musical body performances and visual performances.

Literary critic Sun Mengjin said, "The works of Nico and the Navigator integrate physical performance, music theater, and real-time imaging. I think their works reflect a kind of warmth between people, and I think in the current era, communication and warmth between people are particularly important."

In addition, brand performances and activities such as "Linglong National Music", "Family Concert", "Music Lunch Tea", "Shanghai Concert Hall Intern Manager", "Children's Art and Creativity Summer Camp", "Classroom Enjoyment with Art", "Theater Visit", and "Sea Blue Afternoon Tea" will continue to be scheduled with the audience at the Shanghai Concert Hall.