A piano, a soprano, a string quintet and hundreds of beds – the 22nd Beijing Music Festival (BMF) kicked off Friday with an all-night concert staged at the foot of the Great Wall, offering a unique musical experience.

The concert featuring British composer and pianist Max Richter, British soprano Grace Davidson and American Contemporary Music Ensemble was inspired by the composer Richter's album "Sleep," which was released and made its debut show at the Wellcome Library in London in 2015.

During the eight-hour musical tour lasting till Saturday morning, the audience of 350 was immersed in music akin to soporific sounds that a baby hears in the womb.

Acclaimed Chinese conductor and founder of the BMF Yu Long described the concert as a "performing art," where communication between Eastern and Western cultures takes place softly during sound sleep.

The concert, titled "Dream at the Great Wall," is one of 22 performances to be staged during the BMF, which will run through October 28.

The festival will showcase 16 special programs featuring a wide variety of shows, including operas, symphonic concerts, recitals, chamber music concerts and virtual reality music experiences.

Renowned Slovak coloratura soprano Edita Gruberova, who earned global fame for her portrayal of the Queen of the Night in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's opera masterpiece "The Magic Flute," will deliver a special performance to her Chinese fans, kicking off her debut Chinese concert tour.

The 73-year-old soprano will cooperate with up-and-coming conductor Peter Valentovic and the Chinese Philharmonic Orchestra in the symphony named "The Bel Canto Project" at the National Centre of the Performing Arts.

Aside from Gruberova's grand opening symphony, the festival will also present a series of symphonies involving collaborations among famous musicians, choirs and orchestras, such as the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonic Chorus of Tokyo and Mahler Chamber Orchestra.

One of the highlight shows will be the Pulitzer Prize-winning opera "Angel's Bone" by Chinese American composer Du Yun.

Directed by New York-based director and filmmaker Michael McQuilken, two highly anticipated performances of Du's acclaimed work will be staged at Beijing's Poly Theatre with Hong Kong New Music Ensemble playing the live music.

A concert version of "Xerxes," Handel's final work during his operatic career, will make its China debut at the Forbidden City Concert Hall, commemorating the 260th anniversary of the legendary composer's death.

It will feature the Paris-based high-profile opera studio Opera Fuoco, as well as its founder and conductor David Stern.

Borderless musical experience

The 24-day festival, themed "Timeless Music into the Future," will be a blend of various arts and cutting-edge technologies, aiming at exploring more possibilities and new expressions of classical music.

From October 10 to 27, Michel van der Aa, one of the most creative and outstanding Dutch composers of his generation, will showcase his latest work "Eight" at The Red House for its Asia debut.

It is a multidisciplinary showcase of musical theater, opera, exhibition, digital arts and film. Visitors wearing VR equipment can enjoy a private and borderless art feast.

More than 12 educational events will also be held, including masterclasses and lectures.

The festival will conclude with a symphony featuring multi-Grammy Award-winning American soprano Renee Fleming, renowned Chinese composer Yu Long and the China Philharmonic Orchestra at the Forbidden City Concert Hall.

(Cover image by Liu Shaozhen)