The 2026 Spring Festival Beijing–Hong Kong Orchestral Exchange Concert was successfully held on 28 January 2026 at the school hall of our school in Hong Kong, bringing together around 130 young musicians from Beijing and Hong Kong on the same stage.
This event was jointly presented by the Jia Hua Ruifeng Philharmonic Youth Symphony Orchestra of Hujialou Central Primary School, a renowned school in Beijing with a strong reputation in arts and orchestral education, and the Symphony Orchestra of our school, making the occasion especially meaningful for both institutions.
The programme was rich and varied, featuring a wide range of Western and Chinese works that showcased the diverse musical strengths of the participating ensembles. The String Orchestra of our school opened the concert with “Faith Eternal” and “Can-Can”, setting a vibrant and energetic tone and demonstrating the students’ solid technical foundation and ensemble coordination. This was followed by the Wind Band of our school performing “Afterburn”, “Terracotta Warrior” and the fourth movement of “New World Symphony”, works which combined contemporary wind band writing with symphonic repertoire and allowed students to explore colour, balance, dynamics and stylistic interpretation in depth.
The Jia Hua Ruifeng Philharmonic Youth Symphony Orchestra and its sectional ensembles from Hujialou Central Primary School added a strong sense of national character and artistic professionalism to the exchange. Their orchestral performances included “Liuyang River”, “Escape from Thunder Island” and “Guang Ming Xing”, pieces which blended lyrical melodies with powerful orchestral textures and highlighted the expressive beauty of Chinese thematic materials. The string ensemble presented “Simple Cross Strings”, “Bella Polka” and “North Wind”, revealing the students’ secure technique and musical sensitivity, while the wind ensemble impressed the audience with “March of the Iron Torrent” and “My Motherland and I”, two works rich in patriotic spirit and heroic energy. The trumpet ensemble’s rendition of “Waltz No. 2 by Shostakovich” further demonstrated refined tone production, phrasing and tight ensemble work.
A special feature of this concert was the emphasis on repertoire with strong nationalistic and patriotic elements, which became one of the artistic highlights of the event. The Wind Band of our school performed “Terracotta Warrior” using Western wind instruments to depict the grandeur of the Qin Terracotta Army, offering a musical tribute to China’s long and profound history and extending a warm welcome to the visiting students from Beijing. In response, the Jia Hua Ruifeng Philharmonic Youth Symphony Orchestra presented “March of the Iron Torrent” and “My Motherland and I”, works that embody a deep love for the country and a powerful sense of collective identity. When students from both cities interpreted such nationally themed music on the same stage, the concert not only became an artistic exchange, but also a shared expression of cultural heritage and emotional connection.
The concert reached its climax in the final joint performance of “Pirates of the Caribbean”, featuring all participating students in a large-scale Beijing–Hong Kong combined orchestra under the baton of our school’s conductor. Through preparing and performing this work, students learned to listen across sections, to coordinate tempo and dynamics under a unified beat, and to find their role within a complex orchestral texture, gaining valuable experience in large-ensemble collaboration. At the end of the programme, conductors and tutors from both schools shared their reflections on rehearsal processes, artistic challenges and educational insights, providing students with additional perspectives on their own musical learning.
Educationally, the exchange offered students rich and multi-layered learning opportunities both musically and personally. Musically, they were exposed to repertoire from different periods and styles, including classic symphonic movements, original wind band compositions and Chinese works marked by strong national flavour, which helped them develop stylistic awareness, tonal control and interpretative flexibility. The intensive ensemble rehearsals strengthened their sense of rhythm and intonation, enhanced their stage confidence and improved their ability to respond to real-time performance situations. On a personal and intercultural level, the time spent rehearsing, performing and interacting with peers from a distinguished Beijing school enabled our students to practise respect, communication, discipline and teamwork, while the Beijing students gained first-hand experience of our school and of Hong Kong’s school culture, forging new friendships through the common language of music.
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The 2026 Spring Festival Beijing–Hong Kong Orchestral Exchange Concert concluded with enthusiastic applause and a joyful group photo session, leaving every participant with lasting memories and meaningful growth in musicianship, collaboration skills and cultural awareness. We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to the Jia Hua Ruifeng Philharmonic Youth Symphony Orchestra of Hujialou Central Primary School, the Symphony, String and Wind Orchestras of our school, as well as all conductors, tutors and supporting staff, whose dedication and cooperation made this event a resounding success; we look forward to future collaborations that will continue to promote cross-regional and cross-cultural artistic exchange through the power of music.
