From 25 to 30 August 2025, the third London International Chinese Music Festival will take place at SOAS, University of London. This week-long celebration of Chinese music in the UK is initiated and artistically curated by Professor Cheng Yu, and jointly organised by SOAS, the UK Chinese Music Ensemble, the London Youlan Qin Society, and the Chinese National Traditional Orchestra Society.
Since its debut in 2023, the festival has welcomed musicians from more than 20 countries and received support from Arts Council England. It has rapidly grown into a major platform for musical and cultural exchange between China and the UK.
Renowned Artists and Diverse Formats
This year’s festival brings together distinguished performers and composers from China, the West, and the global Chinese diaspora. Among them are: Professor Zhao Xinzhi and her “Silk Road Qin Yun” Yangqin Ensemble from Xi’an Conservatory of Music; guqin master Professor Lin Weilan from Shaanxi Normal University; American composer Xin-Yan Li (Bard College); and Australian composer-conductor Bingrui Lin.
Also featured are established musicians active across Europe, including Professor Cheng Yu (pipa), Jiaqi Zhang and Wencheng Zhu (guqin), Mengdie Ji and Kang Yang (guzheng), Ziyang Huang (erhu), Zongpu Lu and Guangtai Li (dizi/xiao), Wei Wang (Kunqu opera), and Michel Skelton (percussion).
The curriculum encompasses instrumental classes, ensemble sessions, workshops and expert lectures, alongside cultural activities such as calligraphy, Go, and tea ceremony, offering participants a rich and immersive learning experience.
Concerts — The Beauty of Tradition and Contemporary Innovation
Two distinctive concerts highlight the festival:
Echoes of Nature (27 August, SOAS Concert Hall)
Dedicated to China’s “Intangible Cultural Heritage”, this programme presents a blend of classical Kunqu opera, guqin and silk-and-bamboo music, alongside modern works. Highlights include the new yangqin piece Yangge by the “Silk Road Qin Yun” Ensemble, Lotus Picking by Xin-Yan Li, and arrangements of Western pieces performed by the UK Chinese Music Ensemble, such as the English folk classic Greensleeves and Barnaby Taylor’s award-winning score for the BBC documentary Wild China.
East-West Soundscape (29 August, St Marylebone Church)
Focusing on contemporary cross-cultural expression, this international concert features UK premieres of works by Chinese and Western composers: Qingyun by Zhao Jiping (guqin with string quartet), Sword Shadows by Ray Lin (five-string pipa with string quartet), Borderless by Keting Sun (Chinese and Western string octet), Time-Space Fold by Linhao Li, Shanzhai Folk Dance by Xin-Yan Li, and Camel Bells on the Silk Road for mixed Chinese and Western orchestra.
Teaching, Lectures, Competitions and Exchange
In addition to certified Chinese instrumental examinations and competitions (jointly recognised in China and the UK), the festival introduces new courses this year, including Beijing Opera and Kunqu vocal training, as well as percussion workshops. These offer participants of all ages a wider range of opportunities to engage with Chinese music.
“We hope this platform will not only deepen the overseas audience’s understanding of Chinese music but also provide young learners with professional guidance and performance opportunities,” said Professor Cheng Yu. “The festival is not a one-off event, but an ongoing cultural dialogue.”
Cheng Yu: From Performer to Cultural Curator
As the initiator and chief curator of the festival, Professor Cheng Yu is a renowned London-based pipa and guqin virtuoso, UNESCO “Intangible Cultural Heritage Musician”, and Professor of Music at SOAS, University of London. She has performed in more than 30 countries, served as Asian music advisor to Arts Council England, and led numerous cross-cultural projects.
In 2018, she founded the London International Guqin Festival, and since 2023 has spearheaded the London International Chinese Music Festival, creating a wider platform for bringing Chinese music to the world.
(Source: China Music Network)
