German cellist delivers a suite performance

Cellist Jan Vogler gave his debut performance at the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing on Sunday. He was excited to be one of the first international musicians to perform at the iconic venue since the country relaxed its pandemic-control measures.

"The pandemic forced us to be isolated. Before it, we really had a vivid cultural exchange. Now, we have to restart it. This concert is very special and a great way to resume exchanges again," said the renowned cellist a day before the recital.

Sitting in his dressing room at the NCPA, the cellist had a hectic agenda during his three-day visit to Beijing, including interviews, meeting with Lyu Jia — music director of the China NCPA Orchestra — and watching a performance by artists of a pingtan troupe from Suzhou that night at the venue. Pingtan is a genre of musical storytelling and ballad-singing in the Suzhou dialect. Though the old art form is foreign to him, the cellist was looking forward to the concert, which he described as a form of communication.