Date: September 21, 2021
—Confucius Institute in Quebec, Canada held a virtual Mid-Autumn concert
On September 20, 2021, the Confucius Institute in Quebec, Canada, held an online Mid-Autumn Festival performance of folk music, “The Moon is Full and the Flowers are Blossoming”.
Since its creation, the Confucius Institute in Quebec has worked hard to promote Chinese language and culture in the region, with a fondness of Chinese folk music. Every year, the Confucius Institute organizes and hosts concerts and lectures on Chinese folk music to explore the differences between Chinese folk music and western music. The success of this event has always attracted the local people and have been regarded as “an elegant and exquisite display of art”.
The Mid-Autumn Concert, organized by the Confucius Institute of Quebec, brought together music groups and musicians from China and Canada. Among the performers who collaborated online were renowned musicians such as Peng Jiapeng, a renowned conductor from Taiwan, Chen Zhisheng, and Zhu Changyao, a famous erhu player from the Suzhou Orchestra, as well as many young musicians of the younger generation. It is really a powerful lineup. In addition to the Suzhou National Orchestra, the Wuxi National Orchestra, the Central Conservatory of Music, the Caozi Music Society, and the Little Giant Silk and Bamboo Orchestra of Taiwan, there were also the Singapore Dingyi Ensemble, the Canadian Primary Colors Trio, and Chinese orchestras from major Canadian cities.
The Mid-Autumn Festival features traditional Chinese music such as “The Moon”, “Step by Step” and “A Good Moon”, as well as new pieces that incorporate modern musical elements. The concert featured original works by new generation composers such as “Pin”, “Rong” and “Memory of the Lantern”, as well as adaptations of national orchestral music such as “Jasmine Flower” and “Ode to the Red Flag”, trio “Flower and Youth”, and a music video representing fashionable folk music “Qin v.”, all of which moved the audience.
Even though the performance was virtual, the performers presented the rich aesthetic of Chinese folk music. The magnificent music presented through a traditional medium allowed the audience to deeply experience the incomparable enthusiasm for Chinese folk music and the great beauty of traditional culture in the festival.