A performance at the Hongqiao Art Centre in Shanghai's Changning district on April 5 showcased the fusion of Eastern and Western music traditions during the 7th International Accordion Culture and Arts Week, a key event in the 2025 Shanghai Spring International Music Festival.

Acclaimed accordionists from across the globe joined forces with local musicians, creating a harmonious tapestry of sound.

The evening's highlight came with a performance of Hundreds of Birds Worshipping the Phoenix, featuring Italian accordion maestro Piero Adragna and Hu Chenyun, a renowned suona (traditional Chinese woodwind instrument) performer from the Shanghai Chinese Orchestra.

As Hu walked onto the stage from the audience, the soaring melody of the suona intertwined with the vibrant tones of the electronic accordion, creating a unique musical dialogue between East and West.

The International Accordion Culture and Arts Week has been a mainstay of the Shanghai Spring music festival for seven years, showcasing the versatility and dynamism of the accordion as a musical instrument.

This year's event expanded beyond traditional concert settings, reaching into the vibrant commercial districts and schools of Changning district. The initiative, aiming to blend performance, tourism, and consumption, transformed the arts week into a multi-faceted cultural experience.

By integrating themed tourism routes and collaborating with local hotels to offer special packages, the event aimed to create a dynamic cultural exchange platform, fostering artistic activity and driving commercial growth in the region.

The Shanghai Spring International Music Festival, established in 1960, is one of China's longest-standing music festivals. As a showcase of Shanghai's musical achievements, it serves as a significant platform for international artistic exchange and a beloved tradition for the city's residents.

Mirco Patarini, president of the Confederation Internationale des Accordeonistes, a global body representing national accordion organizations worldwide, praised the festival's ability to connect diverse musical styles.

"The accordion is an instrument that can play many kinds of music like classical music, jazz, tango, and a lot. What is very interesting about this festival is that it connects everything together," he said. "The organizers found musicians from everywhere in the world to show every kind of possibility of the accordion. So this is the most important thing and it gives young people the opportunity to perform with people from the previous generations."

"The combination of Chinese and international musicians on stage tonight truly reflects the essence of 'Echoes of Tradition and Modernity'," said Wang Congyu, deputy secretary-general of The Accordion Society of the Chinese Musicians' Association.

"This echoes the overarching theme of the 40th Shanghai Spring International Music Festival, which is 'Echoes of Spring'. The resonance we witness here encapsulates a fusion of styles, diverse performance formats, and the harmonious interaction between the accordion and other instruments".

Hu, the suona performer, shared his perspective on the unique fusion of instruments. "For me, this collaboration was a fresh experience," he said, noting that while he had collaborated with different musical styles, this was his first time working with an accordion.

He emphasized the unexpected synergy between the instruments: "The suona's traditional partner in Chinese music is the Sheng, an instrument whose timbre is quite similar to the accordion. This collaboration was a natural fit".

Carlo D'Andrea, vice president of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China (EUCCC), expressed confidence in the future of cultural collaboration between China and Italy.

"The exchange in cultural point is coming strong. It's important that we don't forget about the beauty of the music and the beauty of the cultural exchange," he said.

Tang Chengyu, a third-grader at the Shanghai School for the Blind, was among the concert attendees along with two schoolmates. He expressed surprise at the accordion's versatility: "I thought the accordion only made one sound, but it can actually make so many different sounds. It's amazing."