Orchestras make sweet music outdoors

On Sept 5, Yao will play with the China Broadcasting Film Symphony Orchestra under the baton of conductor Liu Fengde during a 10-hour concert on stages built along a beach at the Beidaihe resort in Hebei province.

Works adapted from movie soundtracks will be performed, including pieces written by Japanese composer Joe Hisaishi for Chinese director Jiang Wen's movie Let The Bullets Fly and for Japanese director Hayao Miyazaki's animation Castle in the Sky.

Yao said: "For both musicians and audiences, it's a great experience to play and enjoy music close to nature.

"However, it's a challenge for our instruments, as proper temperature and humidity controls are essential to keep them in good condition."

On Aug 8, Yao led the China West End Philharmonic Sinfonietta at an outdoor concert in Chongli district, Zhangjiakou, Hebei, a popular ski resort and a host for the 2022 Winter Olympics. The symphony orchestra, which is based in Beijing, was founded by Yao in 2005.

"Audiences are now craving live entertainment again and artists are craving opportunities to perform. For the time being, it's a good solution to attract audiences back to classical music concerts by staging outdoor events," Yao said.

He added that the classical music market in China has boomed during the past decade.

Many parents want their children to learn to play classical music, and such concerts quickly sell out in big cities. However, the pandemic meant that performance venues had to close.

Like many business meetings, a large number of musical events moved online, with symphony orchestras performing in front of cameras in empty halls to stay in touch with audiences.

"During the pandemic, we have to work hard to play as much as possible so that audiences will continue to enjoy live classical music concerts," Yao said.

"These performances give us the chance to engage with a relatively small group of listeners, and have the potential to fundamentally change the relationship between artists and audiences."