The 17th Music in the Summer Air festival, or MISA, will be held in Shanghai from July 5 to 20, featuring 33 live performances and 23 online broadcasts.

This year's festival will bring together leading artists from around the world, with programs spanning film music, jazz, Silk Road folk music, dance, and choral works. It will also spotlight cross-disciplinary innovation, original productions, and major premieres.

Opening with Hamlet

The opening concert on July 5 will feature a newly created music-and-drama work based on Hamlet. Directed by Li Liuyi, the production combines Shakespeare's text with Shostakovich's incidental music.

The concert will also feature two works by Japanese composer Joe Hisaishi, with Mei Diyang, principal violist of the Berliner Philharmoniker, appearing as soloist.

Global sounds

International highlights include the Asian debut of British vocal ensemble Tenebrae, which will perform Joby Talbot's Path of Miracles and Hubert Parry's Songs of Farewell.

The United Kingdom's Aurora Orchestra will join pianist Wang Liya and Zeng Yun, principal horn of the Berliner Philharmoniker, for works by Mozart and Richard Strauss.

Jazz, film music, and Silk Road sounds will also feature prominently in the program. Seven-time Grammy-winning trumpeter Randy Brecker will open the MISA outdoor lawn concert series, while Shanghai Symphony Orchestra artist-in-residence Wu Man will perform with musicians from Central Asia, bringing the pipa into dialogue with instruments along the Silk Road.

Film music enthusiasts can look forward to concerts featuring classic John Williams scores, including music from Star Wars, Schindler's List, and Harry Potter, performed by the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra under Belgian conductor Dirk Brosse.

The festival will conclude with a performance by Venezuela's Juan Jose Landaeta Symphony Orchestra, featuring Leonard Bernstein's Symphonic Dances from West Side Story alongside a selection of Latin American orchestral works.

Beyond the concert hall

The festival will extend its reach into everyday urban spaces through MISA Talk, MISA Workshop, citywide performances, screenings, and immersive cultural activities.

This year's festival has also expanded its ticket-stub benefits, partnering with 42 distinctive merchants in Xuhui district to create a 15-minute performing arts and lifestyle zone.

Tickets are now available. Scan the QR code below to view the full festival calendar.

Source: Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism