From November 11th to 20th, 2022, the BFPA delegation visited Switzerland, Austria and Germany for 10 days, meeting with 17 international art institutions and 10 agencies for nearly 20 talks in Zurich, Lucerne, Vienna and Berlin. Furthermore, the delegation met and spoke with four world-renowned artists.
From November 15th to 18th, the delegation arrived in Berlin, Germany, the last stop of their European cultural tour. They met with the directors of BFPA Members including the Staatsoper Berlin, the Stiftung Oper in Berlin and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and artistic institutions such as the Dresden Music Festival and the Münichner Philharmoniker, and enjoyed a friendly discussion with the renowned conductor Daniel Barenboim.
Staatsoper Berlin
On November 15th, the delegation met with Director Matthias Schulz of the Staatsoper Berlin. Director Schulz said that the smooth operation of the BFPA had enabled world institutions to maintain close communication at all levels. The delegation thanked Director Schulz for his efforts in promoting friendship and business cooperation during the pandemic, and consulted with him on the progress of many collaborative projects. They also introduced the recent work of the BFPA and the preparation for the annual forum, and invited him to participate in the upcoming forum. ZENG Yun, Principal Horn of the Staatskapelle Berlin and Guest Principal Horn of the China NCPA Orchestra, also welcomed the delegation.
On November 16th, the delegation arrived at the Stiftung Oper in Berlin to meet with Georg Vierthaler, the General Director, and Rolf D. Suhl, the General Manager of the Bühnenservice Berlin. General Manager Suhl said that although many collaborations have been postponed due to the COVID-19, everyone has been waiting patiently. The delegation said that despite the temporary difficulties brought by the pandemic to the performing arts industry, many institutions have turned the crisis into an opportunity by strengthening their development foundation and improving production quality. General Director Vierthaler congratulated the BFPA for its success in building up a comprehensive online production capacity during the period. He shared the insights and practices of the German arts community in balancing the online and offline performances for audiences. After the meeting, the delegation visited the Bühnenservice Berlin (Stage Services Company) under the Stiftung Oper in Berlin.
On November 16th, the delegation paid a friendly visit to Maestro Daniel Barenboim, who had made a special trip to meet with the delegation. The delegation presented a portrait painting created by NCPA staff member DU Wenjie as a gift and wished him a speedy recovery and a quick return to the stage and to Beijing as soon as possible.
Many heads of famous music festivals and orchestras came to Berlin to meet with the delegation for discussions on future cooperation. The two sides also discussed matters such as enhancing communication and deepening cooperation under the BFPA framework.
James Williams, Managing Director of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and Paul Müller, Executive Director of the Münichner Philharmoniker, travelled from London and Munich respectively to meet with the delegation. Director Williams said that the arts organisations worldwide share common artistic ideas and values, and that under the promotion of the BFPA, their cohesion is increasing. Director Müller said that promoting cultural exchanges is more meaningful when the world is facing complex challenges. The Münichner Philharmoniker is ready to provide support to the BFPA’s efforts to promote international cultural exchanges.
On the evening of November 18th, "Moving Foward Together" A Special Concert and Reception by NCPA in Berlin was held at the Chinese Cultural Centre in Berlin, Germany, attracting many world-renowned artists and cultural figures. The concert featured WANG Xiaoming, Guest Principal of the China NCPA Orchestra and Concertmaster of Zurich Phiharmonia, ZENG Yun, Principal Horn of the Staatskapelle Berlin and Guest Principal Horn of the China NCPA Orchestra, LU Wei, Concertmaster of Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, percussionist HU Shengnan, viola player XU Xinyuan, pianist Yulia Levin from Zurich and cellist Gabriel Schwabe from Berlin. The artists presented together Chinese and foreign masterpieces such as Dance of the Yao People, Variations on a Theme by Rossini and Quintet in E-flat Major for Horn. Snowflake, theme song of Beijing Winter Olympics brought the concert to a climax as an encore.
The concert was attended by Chairperson of BFPA and President of the NCPA WANG Ning, CHEN Jianyang, Minister-counselor for Cultural Affairs of the Embassy of the PRC in Germany, officials from the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Berlin government, and 100 guests and professionals from performing arts organisations in London, Paris, Berlin, Munich, Dresden and other cities.
In his speech, Chairperson WANG Ning said that the BFPA can uphold the philosophy of mutual respect and mutual learning to work with the international performing arts community to open up a broader horizon for cultural exchanges, and to write a new chapter for win-win cooperation. The delegation also met with Sarah Wedl-Wilson, Director of the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler Berlin (HfM Berlin), Stephan Frucht, Artistic Director of Siemens Arts Program in Germany, as well as heads of organisations from the industry such as East-West Ensemble, Naxos Records, CCM, Kajimoto, Intermusica and IMG.
The delegation also met with a number of Chinese musicians in Europe, including Lü Shao-chia, LI Biao, NING Feng, WANG Xiaoming, LU Wei, HU Shengnan, ZENG Yun, WU Lifan and GUO Ying, recalling the long-standing friendship with them and looking forward to their performances in China.
