Traditional instruments hit sweet note at summer camp

Traditional Chinese musical instruments, such as the xun (Chinese vessel flute), dizi (Chinese transverse flute), xiao (Chinese vertical end-blown flute), and guqin (Chinese zither), were highlighted during a summer camp from Aug 6 to 8 at the Forbidden City Concert Hall in Beijing.

Nearly 60 participants nationwide, aged 7 to 60, joined for two and a half days of immersive traditional music training.

Led by guqin master Li Fengyun and musician Wang Jianxin, along with a team of teaching assistants, the summer camp offered intensive instruction and stage performance opportunities.

The final recital on Aug 9 showcased ensembles, duets and solos, featuring traditional Chinese poetry-based works.

"This year, we had more challenging repertoire. Both new and returning students performed together," said Li.

"An age range spanned wider than before. They were eager to learn, perform, and gain a deeper understanding of traditional Chinese music," said Wang.

Li and Wang are professors at the Tianjin Conservatory of Music.

The summer camp is part of the ongoing annual Gateway to Arts summer festival, which opened at the Forbidden City Concert Hall on July 7. Running through Aug 24, the festival offers 45 exciting performances, 12 summer arts camps and for the first time, a nine-part lecture series highlighting traditional Chinese music.