On November 11th and 12th, WANG Ning, Chairperson of BFPA and President of the NCPA, arrived at the first stop Switzerland with the delegation members for friendly exchanges and in-depth communication with local arts institutions. From November 13th to 15th, the delegation arrived in Vienna, Austria, the second stop of their cultural tour.
While in Vienna, the delegation held in-depth talks with legendary pianist Rudolf Buchbinder, artists and heads of arts institutions such as the Volksoper Wien, Wiener Staatsoper, Wiener Philharmoniker and Wiener Symphoniker.
After arriving in Vienna on the afternoon of 13th, the delegation went to Rudolf Buchbinder’s home in the suburbs of Vienna for a visit to the great pianist who has performed at the NCPA couples of times.
Chairperson WANG Ning and Maestro Buchbinder
Mr. Buchbinder said that as the COVID-19 has left everyone anxious and confused, the music and art can help us solve all these problems, and that artists and arts institutions should join hands to be the unwavering ambassadors of friendship and solidarity.
Members of the delegation with maestro Buchbinder and his wife
Chairperson WANG Ning expressed that Mr. Buchbinder is one of world audiences’ favourite musicians. The challenges posed by the pandemic to performing arts are temporary and that Maestro Buchbinder can return to Beijing in the near future.
Wiener Staatsoper
On November 14th, the delegation visited four of Vienna’s most prestigious performing arts institutions.
The delegation held talks with the Volksoper Wien and Wiener Staatsoper respectively. Chairperson WANG Ning expressed his appreciation for their contribution to the development of opera.
Chairperson WANG Ning with Lotte de Beer, Director of the Volksoper Wien
Chairperson WANG Ning with Christoph Ladstaetter, Commercial Director of the Volksoper Wien
Lotte de Beer, Director of the Volksoper Wien, and Christoph Ladstaetter, Commercial Director of the Volksoper Wien, praised the BFPA’s well-established operational system and vibrant artistic presence. They also spoke highly of the BFPA’s outstanding performance during the COVID-19 as a worthy model for study by all counterparts.
Chairperson WANG Ning and Bogdan Roščić, Director of the Wiener Staatsoper
The world-renowned Wiener Staatsoper has also confronted enormous challenges. According to Director Bogdan Roščić, the COVID-19 has caused a loss of international audiences. Although performances have resumed, the confidence of audiences in attending live performances needs to be boosted and the Wiener Staatsoper’s operations has to adapt to embrace the challenges. He said that in difficult times, it is fundamental to have intensified exchanges with major international partners such as the BFPA.
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Delegation visits the opera house of the Wiener Staatsoper
The directors of both opera houses expressed their appreciation to the BFPA for overcoming all difficulties to strengthen mutual learning. They also wished to deepen communication with their international counterparts under the framework of the Beijing Forum for Performing Arts. The Volksoper Wien showed their concern about the preparation of the annual BFPA meeting hosted by the NCPA, saying that they would be honoured to let their voice be heard.
The Musikverein
In the afternoon, the delegation held an in-depth talk with Daniel Froschauer, Director of the Wiener Philharmoniker, and Jan Nast, Intendant of the Wiener Symphoniker, at the Musikverein and Wiener Konzerthaus, respectively.
Chairperson WANG Ning and Daniel Froschauer, Director of the Wiener Philharmoniker
The delegation took a group photo with the directors of the Wiener Philharmoniker.
In his office in the Musikverein, Director Froschauer presented the delegation with a wealth of valuable materials on the glorious history of the Wiener Philharmoniker and gave them a tour of the stages and facilities of the Musikverein.
The delegation visited the Musikverein
For his part, Director Nast briefed the delegation on the Wiener Symphoniker’s current season and gradual resumption of the orchestra’s activities.
Chairperson WANG Ning said that the challenges posed by the COVID-19 are temporary, but the friendship with Viennese musicians is forever, as is the love for the two orchestras from world audiences and music fans.
After the meeting, Chairperson WANG Ning and the delegation also attended a concert by the Wiener Symphoniker, where they extended their congratulations to the director Nast and conductor Omer Meier Wilber after the concert.
On November 15th, the delegation met with Franz Patay, Head of the Vereinigte Bühnen Wien. The delegation learned plenty about the operations of the Vereinigte Bühnen Wien in musical theatre, modern opera and baroque opera.
In the next few days, the delegation headed to Berlin, the capital of Germany, for a friendly exchange with the BFPA Members Stiftung Oper in Berlin and the Staatsoper Berlin, and other artistic institutions to learn from each other and discuss the future for performing arts.
