Spanish pianist Mario, who knows how to make fried shrimps and loves running marathons, calls himself a "Shanghai native" and has been in Shanghai for 7 years.
Spanish pianist Mario Alonso Herero always calls himself a "Shanghai native". Having lived and studied in the Netherlands, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United States, he chose to settle in Shanghai in 2017 and obtained a permanent residence ID card for foreigners last year. Not only can he speak fluent Mandarin, but he can also make crystal shrimp, fried river shrimp in oil, and mapo tofu.
Since being invited to perform in Shanghai for the first time in 2014, Mario has toured over 100 shows in major cities in China in the past ten years. On May 17, he will hold a solo concert at the AIA Grand Theater on the North Bund, performing works by Bach, Chopin, Liszt and Prokofiev. As a public welfare promoter of Shanghai's international tourism image in 2024, he continues to "facilitate" Shanghai to friends from all over the world: "I think Shanghai is the best city in the world, and I love this city more and more."
"Why Shanghai?" Mario has been asked countless times after living in Shanghai for 7 years.
He said that when he came to Shanghai to perform for the first time in 2014, a Chinese friend introduced him to this place as the "Magic City", which made him full of curiosity about the city. As he came to Shanghai more and more often, he gradually fell in love with the city.
"Shanghai has everything. It's safe, convenient and cultured. The people in Shanghai are very friendly and speak English a lot, so communication is easy. Last week I met a Chinese who spoke Spanish better than Chinese. Isn't that awesome? It shows that this city is very Open and very accepting,” Mario said.
Shanghai’s delicious food is also a big reason why Mario stayed. Friends took him to eat xiaolongbao, and when he took a bite, the juice flowed out. Of course, you can also eat food from all over the world in Shanghai, and there are many authentic Spanish restaurants. Some European friends came to Shanghai for a trip, and Mario took them to have dinner on the 68th floor of Shanghai Center, overlooking the night view of the entire city. Everyone was very happy and didn’t want to leave once they arrived. "Shanghai is one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world and a crossroads of culture and art. This city blends tradition and modernity, and you can find everything here," Mario said.
Now, Mario has more opportunities to promote Shanghai to the world. He was invited to witness the launch of the first self-built cruise ship in China, participated in the lighting ceremony of the Spring Festival Yuyuan Lantern Festival, watched the F1 racing competition, and felt more and more deeply the passion and vitality of the city.
He said: "I hope my music can become a bridge and a window to spread Shanghai to the world, so that more foreigners can understand China, come to Shanghai to travel and live, and fall in love with this city like me." People in the city.”
In addition to piano and food, Mario also has a major hobby - running marathons. He has participated in 5 Shanghai Marathons so far, and once ran the "half marathon" in 1 hour and 50 minutes. For him, playing the piano is like running a marathon. It is not about competing with others, but about challenging yourself yesterday. Both require persistence, patience and perseverance.
"In Shanghai, which is developing rapidly, I also want to run by myself. Running brings me a lot of inspiration and is a process of self-discovery and spiritual growth. In particular, I have 30 concerts every year in China, as well as many master performances. "How can I be busy but not tired? Every run helps me adjust my life and work to the best condition," said Mario.
After living in Shanghai for 7 years, Mario is delighted and proud of the city's rapid changes and development: "There are heavyweight art exhibitions, top competitions, countless blockbuster concerts and theatrical performances here all year round. This year 1 In August, I saw the piano master Zimmerman’s performance at Dongyi, and the tickets were really hard to get, and they were sold out in one minute.”
Over the years, Mario has witnessed and marveled at the popularity of classical music in China. He found that many first-class concert halls have been built in second- and third-tier cities, and audiences' willingness to enter theaters and their performance literacy have increased rapidly. "More and more young people are integrating classical music into their lives. In China, the classical music market is full of vitality and attracts the attention of the world. This inspires me to do every performance carefully and present more and better works to the audience. "
For the concert on May 17, Mario specially prepared a Chinese work as a gift for the audience: "I think Chinese food, Chinese painting, and Chinese music are all connected, very freehand, like water, like wind, no It’s fixed and not rigid, it’s fluid and changing. I hope to learn more about Chinese culture and spread Chinese culture.”
