What kind of artistic sparks will be ignited when Zhuhai meets Mozart, and the “City of Romance” encountering the “City of Music”? After the intense preparation that lasted over a year, the grand opening ceremony of the first Zhuhai International Mozart Competition for Young Musicians was held on the night of September 13th at the Zhuhai International Convention and Exhibition Center, marking the beginning of a top international classical music event, and of the phenomenal competition that would last 12 days.
开幕式现场
Guests attending the opening ceremony included Ling Jiang (President of the Organizing Committee of the Competition, Deputy Secretary and Mayor of Zhuhai), Qunfang Deng (Deputy Director of Zhuhai Municipal People’s Congress), Guangyan Long (Executive President of the Organizing Committee, Vice Mayor of Zhuhai), Ruiming Deng (Deputy Chairman of Zhuhai CPPCC), Wei Xie (Vice General Manager of the Huafa Group [Zhuhai]), Paul Roczek (Chairman Violin, Professor of Violin of the Mozarteum University for Music and the Performing Arts of Salzburg) and Klaus Kaufmann (Chairman Piano, Professor of Piano of the Mozarteum University for Music and the Performing Arts of Salzburg). Vice Secretary General Lingping Wang (Director of the Bureau of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Zhuhai) hosted the ceremony and introduced the first-class panel of judges, consisting of 18 renowned educators and musicians who are playing active roles in the international music circle.
The biennial Zhuhai International Mozart Competition for Young Musicians is co-hosted by the Municipal Government of Zhuhai and the Mozarteum University for Music and the Performing Arts of Salzburg, and organized by the Huafa Group (Zhuhai). Supporting parties include Chinese Musicians’ Association, China International Cultural Association, and the Austrian Embassy in China. Zubin Mehta is the Honorary President, while the world-renowned Salzburg Chamber Soloists will play in the finals as the accompanying orchestra.
As the only international competition in China that operates with a first-class European music academy, the Competition will become one of the most authoritative and professional music competitions for young musicians of the day, and will establish a platform for exchanges between Western and Chinese cultures, where young people learn and understand Western classical music. It will become a top-notch stage where talented young musicians from all over the world set out to become masters of classical music.
珠海市副市长龙广艳在开幕式上致辞
At the opening ceremony, on behalf of Zhuhai Municipal Government and the Organizing Committee of the Competition, Guangyan Long extended a warm welcome to the judges and contestants. She said that, with the aim to turn Zhuhai into a “culturally powerful” city, the government had been actively planning and promoting cultural events. The city has borne witness to the establishment of superb cultural infrastructures, and has been home to a series of cultural events that garnered international reputations. With those in hands, people of Zhuhai the “City of Romance” are honored to co-host this Competition with Salzburg the “City of Music”, as it is a testament to the achievements Zhuhai has made in cultural development. She believed that with the joint efforts of the Municipal Government of Zhuhai and the Mozarteum University for Music and the Performing Arts of Salzburg, and with generous support from the experts, judges, and professionals of the music industry, the Competition will become yet another pivotal achievement in the cultural exchange between China and Austria, as well as part of the new experiences in China’s cultural exchange with foreign countries.
小提琴评委主席保罗·罗切克
Paul Roczek and Klaus Kaufmann also gave speeches. Professor Roczek said that he was moved by the beauty of Zhuhai when he first visited the city in November 2013. He was also impressed by the people’s endeavor to create a diversified cultural area that was home to a concert hall, an opera house and exhibition halls.
钢琴评委主席克劳斯·考夫曼
Professor Kaufmann pointed out that one needed a childish innocence to play Mozart’s music, which would be the core challenge of the Competition. He sincerely hoped that the relationship between Zhuhai and Salzburg would be strengthened, just like that between piano and violin, two instruments Mozart favored the most.
Piano and violin, commonly known as the “king” and “queen” of instruments, were the subjects of the Competition. A total of 137 talented young musicians from 23 countries and areas, all aged below 23 years old, entered the formal contest. They were categorized into three groups: Group A (at or under 14 years old), Group B (15 to 17 years old), and Group C (18 to 23 years old). The contests will include preliminaries, semi-finals and finals. Top four players of each group will be the winners and given a prize worth up to 30,000 US dollars. On the morning of Sep. 13th, the Organizing Committee hosted the draw event for the violin players, who would dive into fierce competitions from Sep 14th onwards in the concert hall of Yung Wing School. On Sep. 16th, the piano competition will kick off at Zhuhai Huafa & CPAA Grand Theatre. It is indeed a feast of classical music.
Apart from the exciting contests, the committee will also promote the theme of “Mozart” by a series of diverse events, furthering the cultural value and significance of the Competition. The Exhibition of Mozart’s Rarities, beginning on Sep 20th and ending on the 26th, will be held in the anteroom of Zhuhai Huafa & CPAA Grand Theatre, exhibiting 16 precious cultural pieces from the Salzburg Mozarteum Foundation. Most of the pieces will be making their debut appearance in China. From Sep 23rd to 25th, the committee will host master classes and lectures, where a panel of 9 judges for violin contests will take the audience on a trip to the charming realm of classical music. On Sep 26th, the committee will also host a forum on music and culture, where distinguished international experts will share their opinions and discuss on the influence of classical music over the city.
