Shanghai's International Arts Festival promises a diverse arts extravaganza

Scheduled to be held from Oct 15 to Nov 15, the China Shanghai International Arts Festival unveiled its opening performances at the press conference on Wednesday.

Featuring artists from local and abroad, the opening performances promise a feast of delicate Chinese art and classic symphonies.

From the gala concert by Christoph Eschenbach to CSIAF orchestra and even The Peony Pavilion by Shanghai Kunqu Opera Troupe, as well as and Symphony Concert "Ode to the Silk Road," three distinctive shows will be presented from Oct 14 to 19.

Joining hands with soprano Angela Gheorghiu and Grammy-winning violinist Maxim Vengerov, world-famous conductor Christoph Eschenbach and CSIAF orchestra will put up a magnificent outdoor symphony at the Fountain Square of Shanghai Exhibition Center.

"I am happy and honored to collaborate with Mr Vengerov, and I hope our performance will meet the audience's expectation and mark the grand opening of CSIA," Eschenbach said at the press conference.

Besides the outdoor concert, the full version of Peony Pavilion, a classic Kunqu opera, will be staged in Shanghai Culture Square, starred by award-winning young artists from Shanghai Kunqu Opera Troupe.

"It's an actress' dream to perform the play Peony Pavilion in CSIAF, for the masterpiece is the pearl of Kunqu Oprea. We find it so lucky that traditional opera is loved by more and more people now," said Hu Weilu, acting as the play's male protagonist, Liu Mengmei.

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative, the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra and Shanghai Museum collaborate to present the grand Symphony Concert "Ode to the Silk Road" on the evening of Oct 19.

Capturing the charm of artifacts of Shanghai Museum, the Silk Road-themed music will showcase to the world the beauty of Chinese culture and the power of Chinese civilization.

Liang Ziyin contributed to this story.