On the evening of October 29, a delegation of Villa Musica led by Prof. Jürgen Hardeck, State Secretary for Culture of Rhineland-Palatinate, together presented the “Strings Bridging China and the West” – 2025 China-Germany Youth Exchange Concert with the National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts (NACTA) Orchestra. The event was held to celebrate the 50th anniversary of China-EU diplomatic relations and the 10th anniversary of the China-Germany all-round strategic partnership. With the guidance of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) and co-hosted by the BPAFFC and the NACTA, the concert brought together Chinese and German young musicians to present an artistic feast combining Eastern and Western music, injecting youthful vigor into Chinese-German non-governmental friendship.
The concert consisted of three chapters: Neighbouring Virtue, Elegant Charm of the East, and Symphony of Friendship. In the Neighbouring Virtue chapter, Villa Musica art director and violinist Prof. Ervis Gega, cellist Juliet Wolff, and pianist Gabriel Yeo performed Western classical works including Piano Trio No. 1 in B Major, Op. 8, Méditation from the opera Thaïs, and Salut d’amour. Their performances highlighted the profound heritage and romantic expression of Western classical music, calling on Chinese and German people to uphold high moral values and be fellow companions with shared visions. In the Elegant Charm of the East chapter, the NACTA Orchestra presented traditional opera rhythm ensembles Tan Ban (Plucked Board) and La Yang Che (Pulling a Rickshaw). The original compositions blend traditional Chinese opera elements with modern arrangement techniques, showcasing the unique charm and contemporary features of Chinese music. The concert culminated in the Symphony of Friendship chapter. Three German musicians delivered a heartfelt performance of the popular Chinese folk song Jasmine Flower, and faculty and students from the NACTA Music Department played a new composition titled Floral-Lunar Resonance. These performances bridged Chinese and Western music in a romantic setting, symbolizing the cultural exchanges and enduring friendship between China and Germany.
Yin Xiaodong, President of the NACTA, and Wu Bing, Vice President of the BPAFFC, met with Prof. Jürgen Hardeck and his delegation before the concert. They extended warm greetings to the artists of Villa Musica, saying that music has the power to transcend language barriers and promote intercultural understanding, serving as a bridge that connects people’s emotions. It is expected that through this event, Villa Musica and universities in Beijing will carry out exchanges on a regular basis and jointly promote Beijing and Rhineland-Palatinate to expand all-round cooperation in such areas as education, science and technology, economy, trade, cultural exchanges, and youth exchanges, thus contributing more to enhancing non-governmental friendship between the two regions. Prof. Jürgen Hardeck thanked the Chinese side for the hospitality, describing music as a bridge connecting the people of both nations. He looked forward to sustained music exchanges with Beijing and welcomed Beijing to send musical delegations to Rhineland-Palatinate, so that more German people can gain a deeper appreciation of Chinese art and music.
