Music festival hits a celebratory high note

The first time Ye Xiaogang performed at the Shanghai Spring International Music Festival, he was an 11-year-old dancer. This year, the festival, as one of China's longest-running music festivals, is celebrating its 40th session. Ye, now a prominent composer in China, will present his compositions in a concert at the festival.

On March 12, Ye, chairman of the China Musicians' Association, flew from Beijing to Shanghai to discuss the upcoming Ye Xiaogang's Symphonic Works Concert, which will take place at Shanghai Symphony Hall on April 2 under the baton of 86-year-old Chen Xieyang, who is celebrating his 60th anniversary in the music industry.

At the 18th Shanghai music festival in 1999, Chen conducted the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra in playing Ye's compositions Spring and The Story of Shenzhen. Since then, the orchestra has played more than 30 of Ye's works, according to Zhou Ping, the director of the orchestra.