"Oriental Elegance" lands in Mexico

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The Shanghai Chinese Orchestra staged a successful musical show named "Oriental Elegance" at Mexico's National Center for the Arts (Cenart) over the weekend.

The renowned musical ensemble, which features classic Chinese instruments, played the concert at Cenart's main Blas Galindo Theater, in the lead up to its participation in the International Cervantino Festival, Mexico's premier annual cultural celebration, later this week.

Musician Zhao Yunmeng plays the bamboo flute during a concert given by the Shanghai Chinese Orchestra in Mexico City, Mexico, October 14, 2018. /Xinhua Photo

The orchestra includes members who specialize in instruments such as the erhu, also known as the Chinese violin; bamboo flute; the sheng, a wind instrument consisting of multiple reed pipes; the ruan or moon guitar; and the zheng, which is also known as the zither.

Internationally renowned erhu virtuoso and composer Ma Xiaohui, who has visited Mexico on multiple occasions, served as the concert's master of ceremonies and introduced the audience to each traditional instrument by inviting musicians to perform a brief solo and explain a little bit about the it's history.

Musician Hu Chenyun greets the audience after playing suona horn during a concert given by the Shanghai Chinese Orchestra in Mexico City, Mexico, October 14, 2018. /Xinhua Photo

Music is a bridge that transcends language and cultural barriers to convey thoughts and emotions between different peoples, said Ma.

Sunday's program began with "A Moonlit Night on the Spring River," which is considered an iconic piece of classical Chinese music.

Bamboo flute player Zhao Yunmeng interpreted "Journey to Suzhou," a classical piece that reflects the laid-back pace of the region's coastal communities in its soft and poetic tones. Zhao also played "Joyful Reunion," a strongly rhythmic tune composed in the north.

An audience favorite was "Silk Road and Camel Bell," which evokes the exotic glamour of the ancient trade route that connected East Asia with Europe for centuries.

Musician Zhu Tianjin plays the pipa, a four-stringed Chinese lute, during a concert given by the Shanghai Chinese Orchestra in Mexico City, Mexico, October 14, 2018. /Xinhua Photo

Ma's erhu solo "Ten Thousand Steeds Galloping," inspired by the vast Mongolian prairie, also elicited applause.

"An extraordinary level of [musical] interpretation" and "very elegant," audience member Alejandro Quiroz said of the concert.

A chemical engineer, Quiroz, 25, said it was the first time she ever heard classical Chinese music.

"Now I have a better idea of the instruments, their sounds and the harmony, which evoke feelings," she said.

Musician Wang Yinrui performs during a concert given by the Shanghai Chinese Orchestra in Mexico City, Mexico, October 14, 2018. /Xinhua Photo

China's ambassador to Mexico Qiu Xiaoqi congratulated the musicians on putting on such an unforgettable show.

"Today's presentation was a rousing success. The show was really well received by the audience, because we're talking about a top-tier ensemble that comes from Shanghai, which in addition to being one of China's economically important cities, is also very cultural," Qiu said.

The orchestra is slated to stage the program – previously presented in Germany, Belgium, and Thailand, among other countries, to much acclaim – in Mexico's second-largest city Guadalajara, as well as in central Guanajuato on October 18 as part of the Cervantino Festival.

People take photos during a concert given by the Shanghai Chinese Orchestra in Mexico City, Mexico, October 14, 2018. /Xinhua Photo

"Culture is fundamental to reciprocal knowledge between our two peoples and two societies," said the ambassador, adding that China has plans to step up "the ties of cooperation between China and Mexico, and I'm very optimistic."

In the coming months, "we are going to have many cultural activities and I hope that it can provide many opportunities for Mexican audiences to learn more about China," said Qiu.

(Cover: Musicians greet the audience after the performance during a concert given by the Shanghai Chinese Orchestra in Mexico City, Mexico, October 14, 2018. /Xinhua Photo)

Source(s): Xinhua News Agency