Noteworthy exchange of East and West styles

Conductor Michael Summers has always believed in the power of music to transcend borders. But it wasn't until his first trip to China that he truly experienced how transformative cultural exchange between East and West could be.

His journey began in 2015, when a former student — who had studied with him in Europe — invited him to collaborate with a Chinese orchestra in Nanning, the capital of South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. Excited but unaware of what lay ahead, Summers couldn't have imagined this would mark the beginning of a deep, ongoing relationship with China's rich musical heritage.

Since that first visit, he has returned to China four times, performing concerts and conducting masterclasses in cities across the country. But one of the most extraordinary chapters in his Chinese experience unfolded in the breathtakingly remote region of Guangxi.