Debra Li

debra_lidan@163.com

THIS past Sunday afternoon, a fully packed Shenzhen Concert Hall witnessed its “Beautiful Sunday” public benefit series reaching a milestone, as Zou Tiefu led the Shenzhen City Philharmonic to perform its 600th concert.

The orchestra, founded in 2014, with members’ average age at less than 35 years old, epitomizes Shenzhen’s vitality. Zou, a Shenzhen-based veteran musician, has borne witness to the city’s cultural and art landscape boom.

The concert hall initiated the weekly “Beautiful Sunday” free concert series not long after its opening in 2007. These concerts help educate the public on classical music and encourage them to attend more of such events. For 17 years, over 7,000 musicians and critics have graced the stage, sharing their music and expertise with fans, with more than 700,000 in attendance.

One of the longest-lasting free performance series in China, the “Beautiful Sunday” concerts, staged at 3 p.m. on Sundays, have consistently provided high-quality shows and contributed 30% of the time at each event for lectures and expositions to serve as a bridge between entry-level listeners and classical music. The Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra and its current artistic director Lin Daye, pianists Lang Lang and Chen Sa, and pop music producer Gao Xiaosong, among others, have all given free shows and lectures on this platform.

“Music Lecture Room,” a special part of the series, was acknowledged by China’s Ministry of Education last year as an exemplary model for fostering lifelong learning. Presented monthly, the lectures arrange for distinguished musicians and educators to share their expertise, and offer enticing glimpses into literature, history, and philosophy in addition to music. Conductors Zheng Xiaoying and Zhang Guoyong, composer Ye Xiaogang, and violinist Lyu Siqing have all stood on the concert hall’s podium to share their unique thoughts on music; and many others also tailored their lectures for local audiences.

Su, a young white-collar worker who has been a fan of the series, said, “I attended the first ‘Beautiful Sunday’ concert because it’s free and I happened to have nothing better to do one Sunday afternoon. Wang Yong, the lecturer that day, talked in such a humorous way that I got totally fascinated by classical music, which I had thought of as ‘out of my league.’ Since then, I’ve attended the concerts many times, and have been inspired by the magic of classical music.”

If you’ve never stepped into Shenzhen Concert Hall before, this coming Sunday might be a good start, as Wang, dean of Shanghai University’s Music School, will return to the venue and enlighten fans about the prestigious summer music festivals in Europe.

Then, the following Sunday afternoon, a talented duo, Chinese pianist Chang Xing and Italian saxophone player Eleonora Fiorentini, will perform a refreshing program featuring the works of Astor Piazzolla, John Williams, and lesser known musicians such as Paule Maurice.

Apart from the “Beautiful Sunday” series, the concert hall runs another public benefit series titled “Afternoon Music Time” on Saturday afternoons. Its unwavering dedication to music education stands as a testament to the enduring magic of music, enriching minds and hearts, one note at a time.