"China has come a long way in exploring and creating original symphonic works. Thanks to those great musicians, like Xiao, we have more original compositions today, which speak for our own culture," says Yu Long, adding that the opening concert will combine elements of both Chinese and Western symphonic styles, exploring new methods of blending symphonic music with a Chinese musical style.

One of the highlights of this year's festival will be the Chinese premiere of Haydn's Il Mondo Della Luna (The World of the Moon) in three acts, with performances on Sept 23 and 24, by the China Youth Symphony Orchestra and conductor Yu Ji. Veteran theatrical director Yi Liming will join the production, along with young Chinese vocalists.

The Divine Music Administration of the Temple of Heaven will be used as a major venue during the festival's Music in the Park series. Three concerts will be held during the afternoon, including Eighteen Songs of a Nomad Flute by guqin (the seven-stringed Chinese zither) player Lin Chen and singer Gong Linna, a chamber concert by musicians from Beijing and Hong Kong, and an art song concert by tenor Warren Mok.

The London Sinfonietta, an English chamber orchestra based in London, last appeared at the Beijing Music Festival in 2012. This year, it will return with a new version of Hungarian composer Bela Bartok's one-act opera Bluebeard's Castle and a contemporary chamber music concert.

"Future and attitude are also two keywords for this year's festival, meaning that we will also highlight innovation, breaking traditional ideas about music, and creating new experiences for the audience," says Zou Shuang, adding that when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the Beijing Music Festival adopted the theme "Music Never Stops" in 2020 and led the way into the era of classical music livestreaming and online content planning, breaking boundaries with an unprecedented 24-hour, uninterrupted online presentation.

On Sept 30, the festival will stage Pastoral for the Planet, a visual symphony by Spanish avant-garde theater troupe La Fura dels Baus. The multimedia concert will combine installation, performance, visuals and sound.

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