2010-11-16 15:12

In its ongoing competition with the rest of the world, China scored again with its choral music on Nov 15 when it signed an official cooperation agreement with the International Federation of Choral Music (IFCM).

"The cooperation means a great deal to China. As an international organization, the IFCM represents the cultural diversity of different continents and facilitates exchanges between choral music brands, which is the very goal we are working to reach," said Zhang Yu, president of the China Art & Entertainment Group (CAEG), one of the signatory parties.

The CAEG is one of the major companies in China specializing in organizing cultural performances and events, both at home and abroad, including the 4th and 5th "Meet in Beijing" Cultural Festivals, the 7th International Chorus Competition and the China Culture Festival in the United States.

"In the 21st Century, marked as it is by increasing cultural diversity, China also has to make its voice heard… The IFCM gives us a platform to achieve this goal," Zhang said, referring to the exciting prospects of the China International Chorus Festival, a premium brand owned by CAGE.

According to the agreement, CAGE, together with the China Choral Association and IFCM, will hold the 11th China International Chorus Festival and International Chorus Summit in July 2012 in Beijing.

For the IFCM, it is an exciting program. Michael J. Anderson, president of IFCM, showed great confidence in the cooperation. He said the cooperation with China inspires more enthusiasm than any other project, because it helps IFCM expand into a new field.

Initiated in 1992, the China International Chorus Festival has evolved into a cultural brand widely recognized by the musical community. At the 10th festival staged this year, over 60 chorus teams and 3000 artists came to Beijing and shared their understanding of music, affirming its identity as one of the few established international chorus festivals.

"We are really pleased to reach a cooperative agreement with the IFCM. It makes it easier for us to keep abreast of the latest music trends. More significantly, it provides much-needed resources to build our brand," Zhang said.