'East Meets West' concert showcases Chinese traditional music in Malta

A concert titled "East Meets West: A Glimpse of the Silk Road" was staged Wednesday night at the University of Malta, enchanting an audience of some 400 with a fusion of traditional Chinese musical instruments and the cello.

The concert, jointly hosted by the Network of International Culturalink Entities and the China Cultural Center in Malta, opened with a Chinese classic "Spring Blossoms on a Moonlit River," depicting a charming scenery of a quiet spring night. It was performed by the Chinese Orchestra of the China National Opera and Dance Drama Theater.

A bamboo flute solo, "Love for Qinchuan," demonstrated the hospitality and boldness of the people in Northwest China's Shaanxi province. The duet "Fisherman's Song at Eventide" performed on guzheng, a Chinese plucked zither, and cello portrayed a tranquil scene of the setting sun reflecting off the azure waves while fishermen enjoyed their leisurely moments. The cheerful melody of erhu solo "The Grapes are Ripe" conveyed the joy of harvest among the people in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.

The concert concluded with an encore performance of traditional Maltese piece "Sun," which had the audience dancing along to the music.

"It was an excellent combination," Tony Cassar Darien, artistic director of the Mediterranean Conference Centre in Malta, told Xinhua. "The instruments were like brushes, and with different inks or colors, they created the most wonderful pictures," the artistic director added.

Describing it as a "sterling performance," Victor Vella, a 69-year-old attendee, told Xinhua that the concert was a dialogue of Chinese and Western cultures, adding that mutual learning between civilizations can make the world better and better.

The remarkable concert marks a new chapter in cultural exchanges between China and Malta, said Yuan Yuan, director of the China Cultural Center in Malta. She noted that the center will continue to act as a bridge to promote ongoing cultural exchanges between the two nations.