Assessment concert of 'Happy Chinese New Year' symphonic works collection campaign kicks off in Beijing[Photo/Culturalink.gov.cn]

The on-site assessment concert of "Happy Chinese New Year" symphonic works collection campaign was held in Beijing on Dec 16. Deputy Director of the Bureau for External Cultural Relations of the Ministry of Culture Sun Jianhua and Assistant Director Li Liyan, Director of the Management Center of the State Foundation for Arts Han Ziyong, and the Armenian, Colombian and Estonian ambassadors to China participated in the event, together with the scholars and experts from the assessment committee.

Organized by the Bureau for External Cultural Relations of the Ministry of Culture, the campaign plays an essential role in the "Happy Chinese New Year" cultural activity series. The event is set to meet the overseas demand for Chinese symphonic works with "Spring Festival" (i.e. Chinese New Year) themes, to encourage musicians, both at home and abroad, to explore the cultural connotation of the traditional Chinese festival through the symphony and to build a platform for exchange between contemporary Chinese music and the world.

According to the plan, 10 high-quality symphonic works will be recommended and performed annually within five years to enhance the domestic and international audience’s understanding of Chinese New Year.

The top 10 works for this year finally came out after a 150-minute assessment concert. The works will be well performed during the Spring Festival period by celebrated international symphony orchestras and the event’s overseas partners.

This year’s collection campaign has been well received since its start in August and a number of renowned musicians, composers and young students from different countries have participated. A total of 15 excellent works were finalists for the assessment concert. They were chosen from a field of over 30 collected pieces.