On the evening of March 22, 2024, a heart-stirring classical music feast [Music Across Borders] was staged at the Kennedy Hall in Washington, the capital of the United States. Chinese music genius Shen Tianyi, together with Rong Xingzhou, Huang Wanxinyi, Li Ying and other outstanding young artists from the Yale School of Music, presented a wonderful performance. This is the first stop of their global tour. The concert also specially invited the famous soprano singer Guan Beibei from the Greater Washington area to sing for friendship. This concert was hosted by the US-China Business Association. This concert brought a classical music craze to the audience friends in the Greater Washington area, and the concert was packed. It is a great honor to invite Minister Jing Quan of the Chinese Embassy in the United States to attend this concert. Their presence is the greatest encouragement and support for the artists.

The performance team has a strong sense of Chinese culture and integrates the inspiration of Yale's global vision. Le Rong Yin Hai upholds the soul of classical music and is committed to sharing the beauty of this music with the world and inheriting its profound cultural influence. This concert brings together the essence of Chinese and Western classical music genres, including the famous works "Pi Huang" by French composer Widor and Chinese composer Zhang Chao, composer Khachaturian's trio representing gypsy culture, Armenia and Uzbekistan, Kazakh folk songs, Baroque style fusion of the mid-romantic virtuoso style of passacaglia, Bruch's "Eight Pieces", and other 9 classical music masterpieces of classic inheritance. The concert specially invited senior soprano singer Guan Beibei to present the famous Mayila Variations and the hometown song of German composer Kalivoda to the audience. The outstanding artists performed these classic works vividly, showing their musical talent and unique understanding of music.

The performance of clarinet artist Shen Tianyi intoxicated everyone. Shen Tianyi was admitted to the undergraduate program of Curtis Institute of Music in the United States (2015) and Yale School of Music (2021) as the world's first major. She has collaborated with world-renowned orchestras such as conductor Zubin Mehta and the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra many times. David Schifrin (Professor of Clarinet at Yale School of Music and Artistic Director of Yale Chamber Music Society) once commented on Shen Tianyi: "Tianyi is a talented clarinet player with beautiful timbre, expressive performance style and amazing playing skills." In this concert, Shen Tianyi brought the audience classic repertoires such as Charles-Marie Widor: Introduction and Rondo for Clarinet, Aram Khachaturian, Zhang Wu: Variations on Su Bei Diao for Clarinet, and Max Bruch: Eight Pieces. Op. 83 (1910).

Pianist Li Ying wore a golden dress. Against the backdrop of the lights, her graceful body movements and melodious notes complemented each other. The notes flowed out of her hands like jumping music elves and filled the entire concert hall. Violinist Rong Xingzhou presented Heinrich Wilhelm Ernst's "The Last Rose of Summer" to everyone. This work was written by the Irish poet Thomas More in Jenkinstown, County Kilkenny in 1805. It was transcribed by Irish folk music collector Edward Bunting in late 1913 to the tune of "Young Man's Dream" and included in Thomas More's "Anthology of Irish Melodies" Volume 5. Heinrich Wilhelm Ernst adapted this work into a violin solo in 1865. Viola player Huang Wanxinyi's performance style was passionate, especially Johan Halvorsen's passacaglia, which brought the audience a pure Baroque style and a virtuosic style that emerged from the middle romantic period. The appearance of soprano singer Guan Beibei made the atmosphere boil. She brought the audience a lively and relaxed Maira Variations and a touching hometown song. The artist's understanding and expression of music was amazing. Every note was full of affection and charm, making people feel the sincerity and beauty of music. The audience was in the ocean of music, feeling the power that music gave people and enjoying the shock that classics brought to people.

After the performance, several artists came on stage to bow to the audience, and the audience burst into applause and flowers. The artistic director of the concert, Tang Du, president of the Washington Musicians Association, also came on stage to bow to the audience. From planning, preparation to perfect presentation, this concert is inseparable from the professional guidance of Teacher Tang Du, as well as a group of Chamber of Commerce staff and Georgetown University volunteers who silently contributed behind the scenes.

The organizer of the concert, the United States-China Association of Commerce, is committed to promoting friendly relations between China and the United States through cultural activities and cultural exchange programs. The success of this concert is also inseparable from the love and recognition of classical music by people from all walks of life in Washington! I hope that in the future the Chamber of Commerce will be able to bring more high-quality performances to promote trade and cultural exchanges between the people of the United States and China!

Press Release: Xia Jingman et al.

Photography: Wang Yuxing, iTalkBB, Ma Wenxuan, etc.