A symphony poem inspired by China s painting masterpiece A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains was staged on Saturday night at the capital s Poly Theater, as part of celebrations to mark the 25th anniversary of the Beijing Music Festival.
When Zhao Cong first visited Sanxingdui Museum in Guanghan city, Southwest China's Sichuan province, in May 2021, writing another music piece was not high on the veteran pipa player's agenda.
When it comes to traditional Chinese music, images of seniors sedately playing the pipa (a four-stringed lute) and the guqin (a seven-stringed instrument) usually spring to audiences' minds.
As three performers dressed in traditional Chinese opera costumes perform a scene from Liyuan Opera, an 800-year-old branch of Chinese Opera, the sound of modern pop music instruments such as the guitar, drums and synthesizer suddenly merge with the ancient music, turning the familiar performance into something that feels fresh and new.