Recently, the 2026 Beijing Traditional Music Festival kicked off at the Guoyin Hall of the Central Conservatory of Music. The opening concert, "Eternal Songs of the Land: A Generation's Glory," brought together folk music inheritors, representative singers, outstanding young vocalists, and renowned vocal artists from across the country to launch this year's festival.
This year's music festival, hosted by the Beijing Municipal Education Commission and organized by the Central Conservatory of Music and the Beijing Musicians Association, is themed "Bringing Folk Songs to Life." It features four key components: thematic performances, touring promotions, heritage workshops, and specialized forums. The event also launches the "Yan Sheng" project, which solicits and showcases reimagined vocal works based on Chinese folk songs.
At the opening concert, Professor Xu Zhijun of the Central Conservatory of Music conducted the orchestra, while renowned vocalists Wu Bixia, Lei Jia, Gong Linna, Lü Jihong, and Wang Lida delivered moving performances. 20 carefully curated programs brought together a vibrant tapestry of folk songs from across China, each with its unique style, onto the stage of Guoyin Hall.
The concert opens with the Hubei folk song "Moon Sets in the West," followed by a series of folk songs from Henan, Northeast China, Xinjiang, Yunnan, and other regions. Standout performances include Guangdong's "Lingnan Moonlight," Beijing's "Exploring Qing Shui He," and Qinghai's "In That Distant Place." The Zhuang ethnic group's "Beautiful Zhuang Homeland," the Korean ethnic group's "Bird Bell," and the Tujia ethnic group's "A Pond in Front of the Door" showcase distinct ethnic languages and singing styles. Classic hits such as "Liu Yang River," "Washing Vegetables," and "Red Mountain Flowers Blooming Brilliantly" also shine on stage. Voices from diverse regions and ethnic groups follow one another, guiding audiences to experience the rich artistic landscape of Chinese folk music.
This concert brings together outstanding young talents cultivated by the Central Conservatory of Music in recent years, award-winning competitors from major professional competitions, and vocal instructors actively teaching at the forefront. It also features folk singers from local regions and renowned vocal artists sharing the stage. The performers' diverse singing styles and stage expressions enrich the sonic palette of the entire performance. As a meticulously curated opening show by the Central Conservatory of Music, "Eternal Songs of the Land: A Generation's Vocal Splendor" allows audiences to hear the multifaceted contemporary expressions of Chinese folk songs through a single concert experience.
Following the opening ceremony, this music festival will feature a series of signature performances, including: the Central National Orchestra's folk chorus concert "Traveling with Folk Songs," Anda Ensemble's special show "Ode to the Grassland," a dedicated session for national folk song inheritors and representative singers titled "One Land, One Song," Yunnan University of the Arts' multilingual native-language chorus concert "Cultivation," and the Uzbekistan National Conservatory's thematic concert "Shashmaqam." The "Yan Sheng" project will showcase outstanding reimagined Chinese folk songs through a collection and performance initiative. Additionally, touring promotions, heritage workshops, and a series of high-level forums will be launched to advance the preservation, creation, and dissemination of Chinese folk music. Wang Xudong, Party Secretary of the China Conservatory of Music, stated that folk songs originate from the people and daily life, embodying rich regional cultures and emotional memories. This year's festival focuses on Chinese folk music, aiming to bring these precious traditions onto contemporary stages and enable younger generations to deeply understand Chinese music through learning and practice.