Harbin and Schoenfeld International String Competition; a City of Music to discover!
As a modern city, Harbin has more than 100 years of history barely. However, this growing city has an affinity with music. Accompanied by music, Harbin has always been musically developing and expanding. For five years, it's the home for the Schoenfeld International String Competition.
At the beginning of the 20th century, with the opening of the Middle East Railway, traditional western classical music began pouring into Harbin. Harbin became the earliest city in China to come into contact with European classical music. In 1908, the first symphony orchestra of China, the East Railway Administration Symphony Orchestra, was founded in Harbin. In 1921, the earliest music education school in China was born in the city of Harbin. In 1961, the first Harbin Summer Music Concert was held.
Awarded Music City by the United Nations
In June 2010, Harbin was awarded "Music City" by the United Nations, becoming the first city in China, as well as in the entire Asian region, to win this award. Since 2013 Harbin hosts the Alice & Eleonore Schoenfeld International String Competition for Violin, Cello, and Chamber Groups. This competition is designed to enhance the public perception of elegant music culture and art, discover a group of talented young musicians, provide additional opportunities for professional musicians and music fans, and help young people to realize their musical dreams.
The Harbin Grand Theatre or Harbin Opera House
The Harbin Grand Theatre or Harbin Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts center in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China. Measuring 850,349 square-foot, the theatre is designed by well-known Chinese architect Ma Yansong. The architect "envisioned Harbin Opera House as a cultural center of the future – a tremendous performance venue, as well as a dramatic public space that embodies the integration of human, art, and the city identity. The architect emphasized the building's integration with nature as an extension of surrounding wetlands, waterways, and snowy terrain. The Harbin Grand Theatre is an award-winning-architecture of several international architecture awards.
The Alice and Eleonore Schoenfeld International String Competition
Schoenfeld International String Competition (SISC) was established to pay tribute to the legendary sisters, performers, and educators in the string world - Alice and Eleonore Schoenfeld in 2013. The Schoenfeld International String Competition is based in Harbin, supported by Schoenfeld International Music Society, and led by Artist Director Suli Xue. In collaboration with Harbin Symphony Orchestra, Harbin Grand Theater, and Conservatory of Music in Harbin, SISC provides a unique and wide-ranging performance platform for promoting our highly gifted young string musicians from around the world. SISC is a member of World Federation of International Music Competitions (WFIMC) since 2017. The competition takes place every two years.
History Schoenfeld International String Competition
2013 in Hong Kong (1st edition) Chair: Christoph Poppen
2014 in Harbin (2nd edition) Chair: David Cerone & Lynn Harrell
2016 in Harbin (3rd edition) Chair: Shlomo Mintz & Lynn Harrell
2018 in Harbin (4th edition) Chair: Jean-Jacques Kantorow & David Geringas
2020 in Harbin (5th edition) Chair: TBA & TBA
2013 in Hong Kong (1st edition)
2014 in Harbin (2nd edition)
2016 in Harbin (3rd edition)
2018 in Harbin (4th edition)
2020 in Harbin (5th edition)
Harbin Conservatory and Symphony Orchestra
There is much more to tell about Music City Harbin! In this article, we write about Harbin's Conservatory Of Music and its 300 Steinways and the City's Symphony Orchestra.