University of Southampton hosted a Concert performed by Zhejiang Academy of Music Symphony Orchestra

A unique and wonderful concert was held on 26th November 2018 at Turner Sims. It was performed by the Symphony Orchestra at Zhejiang Academy of Music who teamed up with the host institutions in the UK - the Confucius Institute at the University of Southampton, the Confucius Institute at the University of Nottingham and the Music Department at the University of Southampton.

Alex Neil, Vice-President of the University of Southampton, Paul Whittaker, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities and Francesco Izzo, Head of Music at the University of Southampton were among those invited to the event.

In his opening speech, Professor Izzo expressed a warm welcome to the artists from the Symphony Orchestra at Zhejiang Academy of Music, and especially thanked the Confucius Institute at the University of Southampton for their strong support. The concert was mainly composed of a string quartet, a pipe quartet and a string symphony. It reinterpreted Chinese folk music with classical Western instruments and presented the audience with popular classic repertoires, such as "Butterfly Lovers ", "Horse Racing ", and "Tea Dance”, etc.

This concert not only brought Chinese folk music to British people, but also promoted exchange and understanding between Chinese and British people, through interaction and communication with local musicians.