The 7th International Accordion Culture and Arts Week will unfold in Shanghai's Changning district from March 31 to April 7. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
The 7th International Accordion Culture and Arts Week, a key part of the 40th Shanghai Spring Music Festival, will take place from March 31 to April 7 in Shanghai's Changning district.
Organized by the Shanghai Musician Association, Changning District Culture and Tourism Bureau, and other partners, the event will feature a diverse lineup of performances and activities centered around the theme "Echoes of Tradition and Modernity".
The Breezing Terrace of the Columbia Circle, a multifunctional complex with offices, stores, a bookshop, restaurants and cafes, will serve as a venue for activities for the festival. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
Top accordionists from seven countries — Russia, Italy, the United States, Finland, Sweden, New Zealand, and Estonia — will join musicians from the Yangtze River Delta region.
This year's festival will have accordion performances integrate with various cultural events, spanning a range of venues and times, from daytime family-friendly activities at the Columbia Circle, a multifunctional complex with offices, stores, a bookshop, restaurants and cafes, to nighttime crossover concerts at the Hongqiao Art Center.
The Hongqiao Art Center will serve as one of the major venues for the festival. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
The "Echoes of Tradition and Modernity" gala and the "Listen to the World, Share the Accordion" exhibition of outstanding accordion performances from across the nation will be held on April 5 and 6 at the Hongqiao Art Center, presenting the artistry's classical heritage and promising future.
To coincide with the festival, Shanghai-based travel agency Spring Tour has launched a limited-edition tourism package. Visitors from the Yangtze River Delta and other regions can book the "Laszlo Hudec's Beauty, Accordion Journey" itinerary, offering a three-day, two-night stay in Changning and priority access to three concerts.
The district's tourism department is collaborating with local hotels to offer concert ticket holders discounted rates or gifts, utilizing the "ticket stub economy" to boost local consumption and support Changning's aspiration to become a core area for international consumption in Shanghai.
The Shanghai No 3 Girls High School is a school with a long history in Changning district, Shanghai. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
This year, alongside traditional accordion performances, the festival will feature electronic accordion performances and an innovative fusion of the accordion with the Chinese suona, a traditional woodwind instrument, in a rendition of Chinese classic music Hundreds of Birds Worshipping the Phoenix.
The event will bring together international accordion virtuosos and Chinese accordion performers, who will not only offer concerts but also engage in discussions on international trends in music education, paving the way for global accordion development.
Young musicians from the Yangtze River Delta and local areas will have the opportunity to perform and receive guidance from world-renowned artists.
Luo Bin contributed to this story.
