On December 13, local time, Luxembourg in Motion - Music and Dance Gala, co-hosted by the China Cultural Center in Luxembourg and the Luxembourg Conservatory, commenced at the Luxembourg Conservatory. Attendees included Wang Yuan, Chief Officer of the Chinese Embassy in Luxembourg; Wang Xiaohong, Director of the China Cultural Center in Luxembourg; Laurent Guillaume Weyland, Chief Inspector of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg; Marc Meyers, Principal of the Luxembourg Conservatory; as well as representatives from Chinese and Luxembourg business communities, overseas Chinese, and over 300 local audience members.
The China Music Tour┃Luxembourg in Motion - Music and Dance Gala featured an impressive lineup of performers, including Maurice Clement, organist of the Luxembourg Philharmonic Orchestra; Simon Debierre, guqin professor at the University of Artois in France; Andrey Litvinenko, pianist at the Trier Theater in Germany; Mélodie Zhao, a young Swiss pianist; Katrin Reifenrath, piano professor at the Luxembourg Conservatory; Liu Yan, guzheng instructor; Zhang Haitang, a young Chinese dancer based in Germany; students from the Chinese class at Lycée Athenée de Luxembourg; and students from the guzheng class at the China Cultural Center in Luxembourg. The event was hosted by Hu Yindong, a young Chinese presenter residing in Luxembourg.
On the night of the performance, the concert opened with the double piano concerto "Yellow River." This piano concerto is based on the "Yellow River Cantata," composed by Xian Xinghai in 1939 as an anti-Japanese war song. Set against the backdrop of the Yellow River, the birthplace of the Chinese nation, it passionately praises the indomitable spirit of the Chinese people and their unwavering belief in defending their homeland. In its creation, the "Yellow River" piano concerto employs Western classical piano concerto techniques while incorporating elements of traditional Chinese folk music, such as boatmen's chants, into its structure. Its epic composition, splendid techniques, rich layers, and grand imagery have made it one of the most influential Chinese concertos in the history of world music. The concerto is notably challenging, requiring performers to possess a high level of technical skill. In this performance, lead pianist Mélodie Zhao and co-pianist Andrey Litvinenko showcased exceptional expressiveness and musicality. The audience was full of praise for their artistry, responding with thunderous applause that ignited the entire venue.
Subsequently, Katrin Reifenrath and Liu Yan presented the piano and guzheng concerto "The Butterfly Lovers." Originally composed as a violin concerto by He Zhanhao and Chen Gang in 1959, based on the Yue opera "Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai," it stands as a quintessential example of the perfect fusion between Chinese folk music and Western classical music. The piece adopts a sonata form structure, portraying the story's tragic elements through intense and dramatic conflicts, ultimately revisiting the theme of love in the ethereal "transformation into butterflies." In this performance, the contrasting interplay between Western and Chinese instruments highlighted the unique artistic charm and profound cultural significance of this classic masterpiece.
Amid continuous cheers and applause, Simon Debierre and Zhang Haitang elevated the evening to its climax with a guqin solo of "Flowing Water" accompanied by graceful dance. Traditionally, guqin performances are seen as a profound communication between kindred spirits. As the melodious strains began, the audience was transported back to the distant Spring and Autumn period, envisioning the beautiful scene where Bo Ya and Zhong Ziqi connected through the masterpiece "High Mountains and Flowing Water," epitomizing the essence of true friendship. The value of human connection lies in mutual understanding; only those with shared hearts and resonant emotions can truly comprehend each other's thoughts and feelings. Through narrating the Chinese tale of Yu Boya and Zhong Ziqi, the program allowed the local audience to appreciate the preciousness of genuine friendship and understanding. They were not only musical confidants but also soulmates, a connection beyond words, attainable only through musical exchange and heartfelt perception.
As the performance drew to a close, Maurice Clement collaborated with students from the Chinese class of Lycée Athénée de Luxembourg and the guzheng class of the China Cultural Center in Luxembourg to present the audience with a rendition of "Spring Has Hundred Flowers" on piano and guzheng. Since 2023, the China Cultural Center has been offering guzheng training courses, having conducted five sessions to date. In May of this year, the Center signed a cooperation agreement with the Conservatoire de Luxembourg to jointly offer guzheng training courses as part of the Conservatoire's official curriculum. These courses are open for joint enrollment by the three music conservatories in Luxembourg and are held at the China Cultural Center. This performance showcased the achievements of the guzheng training program.
As an important platform for cultural exchange between China and foreign countries, the China Cultural Center in Luxembourg actively explores the "intersection" of Chinese and foreign cultures. By fostering cultural understanding and recognition, it promotes deep integration and mutual learning between Chinese and foreign cultures. The center advances the global, regional, and audience-specific expression of Chinese stories and voices, enhancing the affinity and effectiveness of international communication. This effort strengthens mutual trust and understanding, collectively building a new pattern of cultural exchange where "distance cannot separate us." (Photographer: Zhang Min)