Documentary a musical tribute to Alice Schoenfeld and cultural exchange

As part of this year's the 69th World Federation of International Music Competitions (WFIMC) General Assembly event series, the makers of the documentary The Spirit of Strings hosted a news conference on Saturday at the Wanda Cinema in Harbin, Heilongjiang province.

This year marks the first time that WFIMC held its general assembly in a Chinese city, with panel discussions and round tables, among other events, from Wednesday to Sunday. The organization, founded in 1957 in Geneva, Switzerland, is a member of the International Music Council, an official partner of UNESCO.

The documentary centers on Alice Schoenfeld (1921-2019), an internationally acclaimed violinist and educator. Along with her sister, cellist Eleonore (1925-2007), she supported Chinese musicians who studied in the United States, such as violinist Xue Suli. In 2012, Alice Schoenfeld founded the Schoenfeld International String Competition, which has been based in Harbin since 2014.