A musical gala titled Extraordinary Ludwig van Beethoven opened at the Shanghai Exhibition Center on Oct 8. On the same day, a star-studded performance by the Sir Antonio Pappano, Wang Yujia, and London Symphony Orchestra took the stage at the Shanghai Oriental Art Center.

"These two major performances - one outdoor and one indoor - have become a cultural highlight in Shanghai, marking the prelude to the city's celebration of art month," said Li Ming, president of the China Shanghai International Arts Festival Center.

Beethoven's complete symphonies in one day

As a special event blending culture and tourism, Extraordinary Ludwig van Beethoven broke barriers by offering free access to the public, while also setting a record as the first outdoor performance in China to present all nine of Beethoven's symphonies in one day. Around 4,000 members witnessed this musical feast.

Conductors Christoph Eschenbach and Xu Zhong served as music directors for this event, leading the festival orchestra formed by principal musicians and outstanding performers from top domestic symphony orchestras, including the National Centre for the Performing Arts Orchestra, the Shanghai Opera House Symphony Orchestra, the Suzhou Symphony Orchestra, and the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra.

A 'custom-made' European musical journey

Meanwhile, under the baton of principal conductor Pappano, pianist Wang Yujia joined forces with the London Symphony Orchestra to deliver a three-day concert series featuring two romantic classics.

The concert program featured carefully selected masterpieces from European musical history: Sergei Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No 1 in F-sharp minor, Op 1 and Gustav Mahler's early symphonic poem Symphony No 1 in D Major.

More high-quality performances are scheduled for the remainder of October. Three opera superstars - Bryn Terfel, Joseph Calleja, and Joyce El-Khoury - will stage two concerts featuring the music of Italian opera master Puccini.

Sources: jfdaily.com, WeChat account of Shanghai Jing'an Media Center at "jaxwzx"