Music among the many charms of coastal city

Olympic songs can be heard throughout Qindao as the city prepares for the 2008 Games.

"Greeting the Olympic Games has been the main tune for the entire year's performances in Qingdao", said Lian Xinguo, chairman of the Qingdao Musician Association.

From February to April this year, 100,000 Qingdao residents attended events, while 33 groups gave performances on the 100-day countdown to the Olympics Games.

Chorus members themselves composed dozens of songs such as "Raise the Olympics Sail".

Lian said that Qingdao is making efforts to build a culture brand called "Island of Music".

Qingdao, a coastal city in east of China, is known as Qin - violin-shaped - Island. It is also known as a cradle of violinists.

Tan Shuzhen, the first Chinese professor of violin, was born in Qingdao and the very first violin in China made its appearance in Qingdao.

A number of famous violinists, including L Siqing and Liu Yang, studied in Qingdao before they became widely known.

Art groups and troupes in the city number more than 100. Some 1,000 universities, high schools and elementary schools offer music courses.

With 100,000 pianos in the city, music and dance have become popular courses among the elementary students.

Traditional plays, Peking opera and Liu opera are popular among ordinary residents. As many as 500 concerts were held in the first five months of this year.

Qingdao has invested more than 32 million yuan since 2005 to remodel the Qingdao People's Hall and the Qingdao University Music Hall.

Qingdao Great Theater, a public cultural facility designed to be a symbol of the city, will be finished in 2009 when it will meet the needs of large performances.

Qingdao has also established itself as a center of communication for music associations from both home and overseas.

Since 2005, the annual Chinese International Violin Competition has attracted violinists from countries all over the world.

Every year, more than 70 contestants from 20 countries and regions gather to compete in Qingdao.

In the past three years, many grand performances and competitions have been held in the city, including the Eighth National Violin Performance Competition, the International Piano Summer Training Camp, the Qingdao International Music Festival & Academy, the International Master of Piano Tours, the Qingdao Music Festival, Hisense Symphony Orchestra and the Qingdao Symphony Orchestra.

As well, a youth folk music festival has a large number of performers. Sheng Zhongguo, one of the most acclaimed violinists in China, said "a great number of musical activities held in Qingdao show the city's charm."

(China Daily 06/06/2008 page24)