String Music Week Strikes a Chord in Shanghai

The 2nd Shanghai International String Music Culture Week, part of the 41st Shanghai Spring International Music Festival, opened today with around 30 events across the city.

Running through April 13 under the theme "Symphony of Spring, Resonance of Shanghai," the week features concerts, exhibitions, master workshops, street pop-ups and guided tours.

At Jaguar Shanghai Symphony Hall, two concerts are scheduled, including a Mozart-themed concert marking the 270th anniversary of the composer's birth, featuring classics such as "The Magic Flute and Violin Concerto No. 5."

The hall also hosts a violin exhibition, running through Monday, showcasing around 50 rare instruments, from antique violins by European masters such as Antonio Stradivari to 20th-century works by Enrico Marchetti and Ferdinando Garimberti.

It includes masterworks by Chinese violin makers spanning more than four decades, including pieces by Chen Jinnong and Dai Hongxiang, China's first internationally awarded luthiers, as well as prize-winning works by Liu Zhaojun, who won top honors at the 17th International "Triennale" Violin Making Competition Antonio Stradivari in 2024, often described as the "Olympics" of violin making.

To extend engagement citywide, a series of "String Time" music pop-ups will be held at venues including Jaguar Shanghai Symphony Hall, Shangyin Opera House and Life Hub @ Daning.

For the first time, the culture week is introducing a music tourism program, an urban music exploration camp designed for learners and enthusiasts.