Celebration of ties hits right note

Wang Beibei the Chinese soprano. [Photo/China Daily]

Chinese soprano Wang Beibei is hoping for more musical collaborations between China and the West, as a way to bring cultures together, following a concert in London that was held to celebrate the 45th anniversary of ambassadorial-level diplomatic relations between China and the United Kingdom.

The singer from the city of Shenzhen in Southeast China founded the East-West Arts Initiative, which aims to introduce classical musicians to wider audiences by encouraging cultural exchanges between Europe and China.

The East-West Arts Initiative staged an evening of performances on Thursday that featured emerging and established Chinese and European artists. Musicians played Western classical music and also works by Chinese composers.

Wang, pianist Ke Ma, tenor Alberto Sousa, and Stephanie Lewis, a mezzo soprano, were among those who took the stage at St John's Smith Square under the direction of conductor Peter Knapp.

Classical music lovers were treated to renditions of Yellow River Piano Concerto, Zhi Liu's My Motherland, and a duet between Wang and Sousa from Madame Butterfly.

"I really enjoyed the whole concert, even though I'm suffering from a cough and it's not really easy to sing," Wang said after the concert. "I felt so close to the audience, though, and to using music to build a bridge between different people and cultures."

The arts initiative aims to introduce Western singers to China and finds a platform for Chinese performers to get exposure in the West.

"Artists from China study the way the West expresses music and vice-versa," she said. "It's about mutual understanding."

She added that she is very much looking forward to future performances and projects because such collaborations are "magical".

Sousa had collaborated with Wang previously in Puccini's opera Madame Butterfly.

He said he loved the concept of East meets West and the choice of repertoire for the evening and also hopes to see more concerts like it.