CSIAF to return in October

The 19th China Shanghai International Arts Festival (CSIAF) will take place from Oct 20 to Nov 19 and will showcase 45 theater projects, 25 of which are from abroad.

The festival will open at the Shanghai Grand Theatre with the premiere of Qi Hang (Set the Sail), a symphonic chorus by young composer Gong Tianpeng that depicts the birth of the Chinese Communist Party in Shanghai in 1921. Born in 1990, Gong is the youngest artist in the history of CSIAF.

The piece will be presented by the Shanghai Philharmonic Symphony and Shanghai Opera House.

According to Wang Jun, president of the CSIAF organization committee center, the production combines classical romanticism with distinctive Chinese national characteristics and local Shanghainese elements.

"It tells a story that is of great importance to the nation's destiny, and at the same time offers a glimpse into the world of today's young artists," said Wang.

Among the new productions that will premiere at CSIAF this year is Shanghai Odyssey: The Bund which was commissioned by the Shanghai Folk Music Troupe.

The production features Chinese ethnic instruments and portrays one of the most recognizable landmarks in Shanghai. Paintings of historical buildings on the Bund by local ink artist Mao Donghua will be projected in the background as an integral part of the production.

Two leading orchestras in the world, the Berlin Philharmonic and the Staakskapelle Dresden, will also be in attendance at CSIAF and they would feature Chinese pianists Lang Lang and Li Yundi respectively.

Many music fans in Shanghai camped outside the Shanghai Oriental Art Center the night before box office sales for the Berlin Philharmonic performance started on Sept 17.

Other highly anticipated acts include the Vienna Philharmonic, Nederlands Dans Theater (NDT) and Bejart Ballet Lausanne. Bejart has frequently participated in CSIAF and will this year present a new production titled The Magic Flute.

The festival program also comprises a series of exhibitions and events such as the ART021 contemporary art fair and the Shanghai Art Fair. The Shanghai Chinese Painting Institute will be presenting an exhibition of traditional Chinese folktales that explore the core of Chinese culture, according to Wang.

In addition, a special pavilion will be set up at the annual CSIAF performance trade fair to promote the latest creations of Shanghai's performing troupes.

This year, CSIAF will expand its outdoor performing spaces to include the Gongqing Forest Park in Yangpu district. Live concerts will take place in the forest.