Summer enters classic time in Beijing

The annual summer music event, Roam About the Classics, is being held at the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing from July 9-29.

Within those 21 days, 10 concerts are scheduled to be staged with Daniel Ottensamer, the principal clarinetist of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, cellist Stefan Kunz of the Berliner Philharmonic Orchestra and pianist Christopher Traxler performing in an opening concert as a clarinet trio.

One of the highlights of the festival is a concert brought by I Musici, an Italian chamber orchestra formed in Rome in 1951.

"It's been four years since we last performed at the NCPA. It feels like coming home," said Francesco Buccarella, pianist and harpsichordist, of I Musici.

The chamber music group made their debut in China in 2006 and toured the country every two years. This year, they toured Shanghai with two concerts and Beijing with one concert.

"We enjoy performing for a Chinese audience. We can feel the connection though they are silent during the concerts," says Marco Fiorini, violinist of the group.

Besides the chamber group, violinist Huang Mengla joined the Roam About the Classics for the first time by presenting music works, such as the well-known Salut d'Amour by Edward Elgar, and Sorrow In Desert by Tan Dun in a concert on July 16.

On July 22 and 23, Japanese jazz musician Kunihiko Sugano will perform 28 songs along with cellist Arai Mitsuko and drummer Yutaka Sasaki.

Feng Mantian will perform on July 26 with his contemporary interoperation of the ancient Chinese musical instrument, ruan, a Chinese plucked string instrument.

On July 27, classical guitarist Yang Xuefei and guqin artist Chen Leiji will cooperate on stage for the first time, featuring music works arranged for the two musical instruments, such as Three Variations on Plum Blossom, Floating Wine Cups Along the Winding Water and Koyunbaba by Italian composer Carlo Domeniconi.