Nanjing to hit high notes

City will host festival of traditional music for first time as it tunes into monthlong event, Chen Nan reports.

Traditional musicians will be on song and in tune for the 2022 Nanjing Music Festival, which commences on Thursday.

It will be the first time that Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu province, holds a music festival highlighting traditional music.

An opening concert will be held at the Jiangsu Center for the Performing Arts. Under the baton of conductor Peng Jiapeng, the Nanjing Chinese Orchestra will perform various pieces, including Festival Overture, the original sonata composed by renowned musician Shi Wanchun in 1959, the second, fourth and fifth movements of The Silk Road Fantasia Suite by composer Zhao Jiping, and Flying Song, a flute concerto, by composer Tang Jianping.

Famous Chinese musicians, including pipa player Wu Yuxia, flutist Tang Junqiao and erhu player Song Fei will join in the concert as soloists.

One of the highlights of the opening concert is Kunqu Opera performer Shan Wen, who will play in You Yuan (A Stroll in the Garden), one of the scenes from the classic Kunqu Opera piece, The Peony Pavilion, by Tang Xianzu, a playwright from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).