Precedents

The artist or ensemble touring to Asia and stopping in Beijing defines the most ubiquitous category of internationalism in music (there has been a fair number of traffic in the opposite direction, but not nearly on the same scale). Similarly, guest conductors or soloists might commonly be seen in the city. Educators giving lectures or master classes have also become fairly common. 

The festival format has become the preferred method to try to formalize some of these trends – a logical extension of the tour stopping in Beijing is to encourage it and formalize it through a critical mass of events and media coverage. The existing institutions are less threatened, and the media thrives on “special” events. In this respect, the Beijing Music Festival has enjoyed great acclaim, and deserves credit for virtually single-handedly establishing Beijing as an international destination for classical music. But thus far, it has found it necessary to focus its energies on promoting itself in the national and international arena to maintain a high profile. As a result, many concertgoers in Beijing have found themselves unable to afford tickets.

NCPA has started some festivals of its own such as the 2009 Opera Festival and their chamber music mini-festivals. In October 2007, Wu Promotion started its University 1 Eur Project at some of China’s best universities aimed at educating young people about classical music and nurturing a young audience in China for contemporary music, chamber music, jazz, and modern dance. In recent years, there have been some successful efforts of Chinese music presentations abroad: the Amsterdam China Festival at the Concertgebouw in 2005, the Kennedy Centre’s month long Chinese Festival of the Arts (Washington, D.C.), Columbia University’s legacy and Music from China Series (both in New York City), and in Amsterdam, the ongoing commitment of the Nieuw Ensemble to Chinese new music.

Leiden's Foundation of Chinese Music in Europe (CHIME), a longstanding, research organization has also supported a wide variety of Chinese musical styles around the world. Universities are also realizing the possibilities of increased participation in the arts. The ‘One’ Euro tour is one international entity recently seizing this opportunity. Countless conservatories and music departments from abroad have signed exploratory agreements with the China and Central Conservatories. Independent groups and the folk music concert organizer Pentatonic Productions have begun to make themselves known to wider audiences through regular performances of “new music” in the city.