Young musicians help strengthen Sino-U.S. people-to-people exchanges

The Chinese consulate general in New York has rarely seen so many young faces from China and the United States gather under the same roof, and those who did on Tuesday were accompanied by the shared cheers of youths from both countries for a joint music performance.

The China-U.S. joint performance gathered about 300 young musicians from the Beijing Youth Orchestra and the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America for the last musical event on the final day of New York's World Orchestra Week.

What the young musicians demonstrated "is not just in the profession of music but also in the desire of human beings for peace, unity, solidarity and prosperity. It is with this spirit that I'm here to host you today", said Huang Ping, Chinese consul general in New York.

The performance began with the NYO-USA playing A Western Fanfare, followed by the BYO performing the Chinese folk song A Moonlit Night on the Spring River with Western instruments. Musicians from both countries then played Going Home, adapted from Dvorak's Symphony No 9, which was also later adapted in China. The concert concluded with You and Me, the theme song of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

"The China-U.S. relationship is now the most important relationship in the world. Needless to say, we have had ups and downs over the past 45 years since normalizing our relationship, but our people remain the same, and the friendship remains unchanged," Huang said.

"Music and art are universal languages that transcend boundaries and bridge gaps. By watching young musicians from around the world work together, I am confident we can build a better future. I believe that if we can play together, we can work together," he said.

Clive Gillinson, executive and artistic director of Carnegie Hall, said: "One of the most important things about music is that if you don't listen, you can't make music. One of the challenges in the world we're living in at the moment is that so many people are not listening. Everybody wants to talk. They don't agree with others."

This year, Carnegie Hall brought five youth orchestras from Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America to New York for World Orchestra Week from Aug 1 to 7. Over 100 musicians from the BYO performed at Carnegie Hall on Sunday. The young Chinese musicians also attended peer exchange workshops at the Iris Cantor Theater at New York University.

On Monday, all festival participants, about 700 musicians from more than 40 countries, joined a "play-in" event at New York's Jacob Javits Convention Center.

'Friends for life'

These young people "will remain connected and friends for life because this is an experience you never forget. It will be one of the greatest experiences of their lives. This will inform their relationships and their ability to communicate in meaningful ways throughout the future, bringing countries together in a way that maybe not all of us are very good at in today's world", Gillinson said.

The BYO is a new ensemble jointly curated by China's National Centre for the Performing Arts and the Beijing Municipal Education Commission in June. NCPA President Wang Ning said that it was Gillinson who suggested that he should establish the BYO.

"We greatly value the friendship between the Chinese and American arts communities, which has led to many artist exchanges and collaborations," Wang said in a video speech.

The youth music exchange took place after President Xi Jinping met with U.S. President Joe Biden in San Francisco in November. Xi said that the hope of China-U.S. relations lies in the people, and its future lies in the youth. Since then, China has been working to establish communication channels with young people in the U.S. to promote bilateral people-to-people exchanges.

The NYO-USA will visit China next year, with a return performance at the NCPA as a key part of its tour.

"It was very interesting to see how the diplomacy factored into the playing," Diogo Feldman, a NYOUSA member who played trumpet on A Western Fanfare, told China Daily, adding that it was really interesting to hear the musicians from China and the U.S. play together.

Many young musicians from both countries, who have become friends over the past few days, have exchanged gifts and contact information and plan to reunite in Beijing.

Members of the NYO-USA "were very enthusiastic", said An Yixuan, a member of the BYO. "After we finished performing, they cheered for us. They would even come to the airport to see us off."

Lyu Zening, who was one of the Chinese musicians on Going Home, said she was delighted because "I had never had such an experience".

Ana Isabella Espana, a violinist with the NYO-USA, said: "To get to know these people all of the way from Beijing was such a positive experience and they are all so sweet. And to be able to collaborate together with music, it's just so special and it's great."