Hot News | China Magic Finger Pianist Performs at the 2023 Beijing Xishan Yongding River Cultural Festival

Opening ceremony highlights — swipe to see more

This opening ceremony of the Beijing Xishan Yongding River Cultural Festival gathered a constellation of stars, inviting high-caliber creative and performing teams from various artistic fields. China Magic Finger Pianist Tang Juchen was also invited to attend, marking his debut at a national-level cultural festival opening ceremony. The performance was divided into four chapters: “Origins of the Capital,” “Growth of All Things,” “Capital Mists and Clouds,” and “Scenes of a Grand City.”

At the opening ceremony, the 20-year-old China Magic Finger Pianist Tang Juchen served as the piano soloist, collaborating with renowned conductor Xia Xiaotang, the Beijing Symphony Orchestra, the Beijing Folk Orchestra, and the Central Opera House Chorus. Together, they presented a series of large-scale works deeply infused with Chinese cultural themes: the large-scale scenic recitation “A Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains”, the epic poetry recital “Millennium Leadership”, and the signature pieces of previous Yongding River Cultural Festivals, “Magnificent Mountains and Rivers” and “Eternal Mountains and Rivers”. Scenes of majestic and beautiful landscapes unfolded one after another, with the grand symphonic music resonating throughout the venue, further showcasing the natural beauty of Western Beijing and promoting the culture of the Xishan Yongding River.

Collaborating with national-level orchestras for a performance is a tremendously valuable experience for the young Tang Juchen. In an interview with BRTV (Beijing Time), Tang spoke candidly:

“Previously, I primarily focused on classical music practice, mostly in solo piano formats. This opening ceremony of the Xishan Yongding River Cultural Festival was my first attempt at performing Chinese repertoire from diverse genres and regions, presented in a multidisciplinary format and in collaboration with various instruments.” The fusion of the steel industrial heritage with modern symphonic music, the stage performance style combining softness and strength, and the blending of different types of musical works with the Shougang environment brought Tang Juchen an entirely new experience during his debut performance at Shougang Park.

The 2023 Beijing Xishan Yongding River Cultural Festival was organized by the Beijing Municipal Publicity Department and hosted by the Beijing Municipal Cultural Heritage Bureau, the Shijingshan District Committee and Government, Beijing Radio and Television Station, Shougang Group, and the Publicity Departments and Cultural Tourism Bureaus along the Xishan Yongding River Cultural Belt. The theme song “Eternal Mountains and Rivers” was performed by renowned vocalists Wang Li and Ping An. Violinist Lü Siqing, actor Shi Ke, and singer Jiang Yingrong were also invited to attend the opening ceremony.