At the end of the year, the 2024 music season of China Symphony Orchestra arrived as scheduled. On December 9, the launch conference of the new music season of China Communications was held in Beijing Concert Hall. For the upcoming 2024 music season, Yu Zhou, secretary of the Party Committee of the China Symphony Orchestra, said: "The China Symphony Orchestra will bring the highest artistic enjoyment to the national audience with the most full input, the most full spirit and the most extreme interpretation." Li Xincao, honorary chief conductor of the 2024 Music Season of the China Symphony Orchestra, and Jing Huan, permanent conductor, shared the details of their diplomatic relations with China and expressed their expectations and prospects for the future.

In the new music season of China Communications, honorary chief conductor Li Xincao, permanent conductor Jing Huan, honorary art director Tan Dun, specially invited conductor Lin Daye, permanent conductor Wang Linlin and assistant conductor Yin Jiongjie will all make wonderful appearances. At the same time, the audience can also appreciate the conductors Shui Lan, Yu Long, Lu Jia, Zhang Yi, Liao Guomin, Chen Lin, Qian Junping, Jiao Miao and Chen Bing; Performers Yin Chengzong, Liu Yunzhi, Ning Feng, Huang Bin, Chen Xi, Qin Liwei, Li Zhuoyu, Shen Lu, Rao Hao, Wu Wei; Singers Liao Changyong, Zhu Huiling, Shi Yijie, Guo Sen, Song Yuanming, Qiu Zhiqian, Xue Haoyin, Ruan Yuqun, Liu Shen and other three generations of artists.

Yu Zhou, Party Secretary of China Symphony Orchestra.

More international faces will be active on the stage of the China Symphony Orchestra, including conductors David Hohs, Andres Delvers, Mikhail Agriste, Gunter Newhold, Hubert Sultant and Mark Bereyi; Performers Jehad Ortiz, Li Yuyin and Stephen Chechiff will all be on the stage of diplomatic relations. In a concert with a more international perspective, fans can appreciate the unique interpretations of different styles of works by musicians from all over the world, and also feel the artistic sparks of the collision between eastern and western musicians. In 2024, in the journey of dialogue with the world, China’s diplomatic relations will spread all over Asia, Europe and America, transmitting China’s voice to the world with music and telling China’s story with notes.

On the occasion of the bicentennial of brukner’s birth, the 160th anniversary of Richard Strauss’s birth, the 100th anniversary of Puccini’s death and the 175th anniversary of Chopin’s death, the State Council of Communications will launch a series of commemorative concerts, and at the same time, Puccini’s classic opera "The Artist’s Life" will be staged in the annual opera concert. Classical fans will be satisfied with large-scale works and high-quality performances throughout the year.

Li Xincao, Honorary Chief Conductor of China Symphony Orchestra

This year is not only the Great Year of Western Symphony, but also the 120th anniversary of the birth of China composer Huang Zi and the 100th anniversary of Luo Zhongrong. In such a landmark year, the State Communications Department will rearrange the excellent works of many composers such as Huang Zi, Luo Zhongrong, Chen Peixun, Shi Wanchun, Zhao Jiping, Tan Dun and Chen Qigang. The year 2024 marks the 85th anniversary of The Yellow River Cantata’s premiere. In addition, Guojiao and many universities promoted national classics among the younger generation. At the same time, they used the results of re-arrangement to perform the symphonic music Shajiabang in cooperation with local orchestras. In addition, there will be a symphony with strong "Chinese style" created by German composer Schneider, which will give fans a glimpse of "China music written by western composers" from another dimension. In terms of newly created works, China Communications will launch the second concert of "Symphony of the Years in Peace"; Join hands with other brother orchestras to create a symphony suite "Revival" with the theme of celebrating the 75th anniversary of the founding of People’s Republic of China (PRC); At the same time, it undertakes the creation and performance of the project "Changjiang Chorus" directly managed by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and promotes the prosperity and development of symphony creation with realistic themes in the new era.

The chorus concert will take opera as the "highlight", and the concert will be sung on three occasions, including "Salute to Verdi and Salute to Puccini", which commemorates the centenary of Puccini’s death, and will form an anticipated opera theme performance with the opera concert. Chorus concerts, such as Colorful Nationalities, Appreciation of Chinese Poetry, A Lu Ge and Poetry, which aim to build up the sense of Chinese national community and carry forward Chinese traditional culture, will integrate the beautiful tunes of Tang poetry and Song poetry and ancient and modern folk songs, which will let the audience feel poetry and distance in the great national style and explore the eternal context and national soul of Chinese civilization.

The new music season will also present nine sets of chamber music performances with distinctive themes and colorful colors. Various forms of ensemble and duet chamber music combination will bring a series of western classic works, Chinese and foreign art songs and chamber music works with national music characteristics, which are both difficult to interpret and beautiful in melody. Compared with the past, in 2024, the cooperation modes of chamber music performance of the State Communications University are more diverse. In addition to the concert hall, it will also cooperate with many universities such as Immersed Performing Arts Space, Peking University and Tsinghua to better integrate chamber music into aesthetic education.

Photo courtesy of China Symphony Orchestra

Text/Beijing Youth Daily reporter Tian Yuting

Editor/Gong Lifang

On the second day of the table tennis World Cup quarter-finals, there was a fierce confrontation. Players from China, Japan, Korea, Germany, France and Sweden showed their high-level skills and tenacious fighting spirit, bringing a wonderful table tennis feast to the audience.

On the second day of the table tennis World Cup quarter-finals, the players from six teams, China, Japan, South Korea, Germany, France and Sweden, showed their top skills and strong desire for competition. The audience witnessed a thrilling confrontation in the tense and exciting competition.

The first is the contest between the Chinese and German teams. China sent powerful players Malone and Fan Zhendong, while the German team was composed of Bohr and Ochalov. In this game, the players of both sides played inextricably, and the superb skills and the tenacity of psychological quality became the key to victory or defeat. In the end, China beat the German team 3-1 and advanced to the semi-finals.

Next, the Japanese team and the French team launched a fierce confrontation. Japanese players Jun Mizutani and Zhang Benzhi played against French players Liang Jingkun and Lucretier respectively. The whole game was full of skill and speed, and the wonderful moment when the players competed for each ball on the stage made the audience stare. In the end, Japan beat France 3-0 and advanced smoothly.

At the same time, the confrontation between South Korea and Sweden is also expected. South Korea sent Xu Xin and Yin Hang, while Sweden was made up of Okalov and falk. In this game, the players showed high competition skills and strong willpower. After fierce competition, South Korea narrowly beat Sweden 3-2 and advanced to the semi-finals.

In this wonderful table tennis feast, the players’ fighting spirit and top-level performance are amazing. They brought unforgettable matchups to the audience with the wonderful moments of each ball.

The table tennis World Cup quarter-finals will continue, and the four promotion teams will further compete cruelly. The audience are full of expectations for the next game, and they are looking forward to seeing more jaw-dropping wonderful rounds and exciting victory moments.

On the stage of this table tennis World Cup, the players from China, Japan, Korea, Germany, France and Sweden showed top-level skills and indomitable spirit. No matter who can win the championship in the end, these players have become legends in the table tennis world and brought us unforgettable table tennis feasts.

Let’s continue to pay attention to the wonderful events of the Table Tennis World Cup and cheer for these excellent players! Let’s witness the brilliant moment of the table tennis world together!

Recently, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Finance, and the National Bureau of Statistics held a national promotion meeting on financial education investment and education funds statistics. The meeting systematically summed up the main achievements in the statistical work of financial education investment and education funds since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, exchanged typical experiences, and made arrangements for the work this year and the next period.

The meeting emphasized that it is a strategic plan made by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council to give priority to the development of education to ensure that the proportion of national fiscal education expenditure to GDP is generally not less than 4%, that the fiscal general public budget education expenditure only increases year by year, and that the average general public budget education expenditure according to the number of students in school only increases year by year. All localities should always give priority to the development of education, further intensify their work, and ensure that the responsibility for investment is put in place.Ensure that the "two increases only do not decrease" are put in place and that the annual budget is implemented in place. It is necessary to strengthen management and ensure the standardized and efficient use of education funds.

The meeting emphasized that the statistics of education funds is an important comprehensive and basic work to systematically reflect the information of education economy, an important starting point to promote the implementation of the responsibility of education investment, and an important support to formulate and improve the education investment policy. It is necessary to actively adapt to the requirements of high-quality development, further improve the statistical system of education funds, and establish and improve the dynamic monitoring mechanism for the implementation of education funds. It is necessary to further improve the statistical standards, indicators and systems of education funds, improve the statistical quality and ability of education funds, and give full play to the supporting role of information consultation, monitoring and supervision and decision-making.

Responsible comrades of relevant departments and directly affiliated units of the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Finance and the National Bureau of Statistics attended the meeting at the main venue, and responsible comrades of education, finance and statistics departments of all provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government), cities with separate plans and Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps attended the meeting by video at the sub-venue.

Source: Ministry of Education website