Sapporo, the capital city of Hokkaido, is known by the world of its beautiful natural views. In China, it is widely recognized by the people because of Director Feng Xiaogang’s movie If You Are the One.
From July 5th to 8th, Jing Dunquan, the vice-president of the CPAFFC, visited Sapporo, Japan, to attend the opening ceremony of Pacific Music Festival 2012. The weather is pleasant in Sapporo’s July. It was 5 o’clock in the afternoon when we arrived at the New Chitose Airport. On our way to the city of Sapporo, the continuously sparkled rains made the air fresh and cool, which gave us some special feelings.
Pacific Music Festival
Pacific Music Festival (also known as Sapporo Music Festival), short as PMF, was initiated by Leonard Bernstein, the world famous conductor, composer, educator, in 1990, aiming at developing music education, enhance international cooperation and promoting world peace. The organizing committee of the music festival selects more than 100 excellent young musicians from all over the world and gathers them to study for one month under the guidance of famous conductors, composers and concert performers. Then, a performance for reporting the musicians’ achievements and revealing the charm of music will be held. This music festival has been successfully held for 22 times. Now, it enjoys equal popularity with Tanglewood Music Festival of the U.S. and the German Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival. The above festivals are collectively known as the world’s biggest three educational music festival. Sapporo Music Festival provides the young musicians from all countries a stage to compete with and learn from each other, as well as reveal their music talent. It has built a bridge for them to deepen their understandings and promote their friendship. It also has cultivated generations of young music talents with international views, and promoted the development of the cause of international music education.
Leonard Bernstein，1918－1990
PMF Reception
In the evening of July 6th, UEDA FUMIO, the mayor of Sapporo City, held a welcome dinner. Vice-president Jing Dunquan was present and addressed the dinner. He represented the CPAFFC and China-Japan Friendship Association to congratulate Sapporo Music Festival. He believed the music festival would be a magnificent event with specialties and high level under the collaboration of all sides, and leave a wonderful page in history of international music education.
Opening Ceremony of PMF
It was a sunny day on July 7th. The Opening Ceremony of PMF was held in the afternoon at the Sappora Art Forest, anopen air theater.
Jing Dunquan addressed the opening ceremony on behalf of the Chinese guests. He said, music was the common language of the human beings. It could surpass the national boundaries and resonate with souls, thus achieve heart-to-heart communication. Youth was hope of a nation or a country; they were bearing the future of the development of music. Strengthening the communication of youth musicians from all countries is very significant. In the recent years, China had achieved much on cultivating music talents. A great number of youth musicians appeared, such as Lang Lang, Li Yundi and etc. He sincerely hoped more and more Chinese youth musicians could step onto the world-class stage, and communicate China and the world with music, the common art language.
representative of students from Sanjo High School Addressing
Sanjo High School Brass Band Performing
SENDAI SANJO Junior High School Brass Band which comes from the disaster area of great earthquake in Eastern Japan, performed Sound of Hope for the audience. Through their wonderful performance and the beautiful melody, the students conveyed their persistence and love for the music, the belief and courage to overcome the disaster, and their optimism for the future. At the end of the performance, there was prolonged applause. The applause was full of encouragement to the Japanese youth, what’s more, the praise on the Japanese people’s sprit of never giving up through disasters, and faith for beautiful future.
Later, PMF Orchestra, which made up of youth musicians from the world, entered the stage, and played Mozart: Piano Concerto No.11 (F Major, K413). The musicians presented the audience a wonderful music feast. Although the members of the orchestra came from different countries and regions, the fluency of their performance was natural and clean as flowing water. The beautiful melody resounded and endured through the site, and put the audience into spring breeze in this hot summer.
the performance of the orchestra the Sapporo Art Forest Theater
the entrance of the music festival the volunteers
The concert ended very soon. The audience who had just enjoyed the music feast and live show burst prolonged applause and cheers. The opening ceremony proved a great success.
Meeting with The Mayor of Sapporo
During his visit in Sapporo, Vice-President Jing Dunquan had a meeting with Ueda Fumio, the mayor of Sapporo. Both sides exchanged views frankly on further developing cooperation in various circles. The visiting cards of Mayor Ueda were worth of mentioning. They were in four pieces a group with unique cartoon design.
Vice-President Jing Dunquan meeting with Ueda Fumio, Mayor of Sapporo
Ueda Fumio’s cartoon-style visiting cards
The View of Summer in Sapporo
Culture is like water, moistening all things of the world; culture is like wind, pulling all peoples heartstrings.
This year is the 40th anniversary of normalization of Diplomatic Ties between China and Japan, and Friendly Exchange Year of the Chinese and Japanese People, which announced by both national governments. In order to celebrate this commemorable year, the CPAFFC will cooperate with the organizing committee of Sapporo Music Festival to hold PMF Beijing Concert in August. This will be the first time the PMF Orchestra to perform outside Japan. Welcome the youth musicians from all around the world to come to China, to experience the Chinese people’s enthusiasm on music， and to feel a true, vital China.
May the PMF Beijing Concert a great success. Wish this music feast bring people happiness and peace, let the people around the world further understand and recognize the friendship between China and Japan, as well as world peace.
Let’s meet again in Beijing!
