The performance of Kunqu Opera classics from the Imperial Palace at Shanghai Grand Theatre on Oct 17 night marked the opening of the 24th China Shanghai International Arts Festival.

True Elegance of Supreme Harmony: The Kunqu Opera Classics from the Imperial Palace (Season One) was performed by Shanghai Kunqu Opera Troupe, based on the company's study on the scripts, music and costumes of the classical opera in the collection of the Palace Museum in Beijing.

Going on from Oct 17 to Nov 27, this year's CSIAF will bring together some of the most esteemed performers and groups from all over the world, and present the China premiere or exclusive performances in Shanghai of high-quality productions such as Romeo and Juliet by the Stuttgart Ballet from Germany, Richard III by Schaubuhne Berlin from Germany, as well as Kontakthof - Echoes of '78, which is the revival of a Pina Bausch work commissioned and co-produced by CSIAF.

The festival features a wide variety of programs consisting of performances, exhibitions and activities spanning eight main sections, with the main performance section comprised of 55 stage productions. Among the most ambitious and challenging was the Mahler Symphonies Cycle that took place at Shanghai Oriental Art Center from Oct 12 to 16. The Mariinsky Orchestra from Russia performed under the baton of its artistic director, maestro Valery Gergiev, and presented a symphonic Marathon of the complete nine symphonies five days in a row.

"It is extremely rare for the complete symphonies of a composer to be performed in a single country, city, or theater within a short period of time," Gergiev praised the courage and boldness of the CSIAF, saying, "Choosing such a massive and challenging project is by no means easy; it requires tremendous effort and challenge, reflecting the festival's vision and responsibility."

An integral part of the CSIAF, the 23rd CSIAF Performing Arts Fair (ChinaSPAF) is held from Oct 18 to 21 at Bocom New Bund 31 Performing Arts Center. As the largest performing arts market in the APAC region, the event sees the gathering of best performing arts resources from all over the world.

The 5th Annual Conference of the network of Silk Road Arts Festival, an important part of the China SPAF was held at the same venue on Oct 17. Since its founding in 2017, the network has had 196 member institutions, covering 52 countries and regions.

The conference also issued special awards to three individuals in recognition of their lasting contributions to artistic exchange, institutional development, and project advancement: Darko Brlek, general director and artistic director of the Ljubljana Festival in Slovenia, Constantin Chiriac, president of the Sibiu International Festival in Romania, and Gorgun Taner, general-director of the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts in Turkiye.