The Splendor of ACMA Concert, an Ode to Peace

On 24. May, the Borromäus Music Hall in Vienna welcomed a high-levelled concert, witnessing a sincere and cheerful ode to peace. 

Organized by the Austrian Chinese Musicians’ Association (ACMA) and the Austrian Association for the Promotion of Peaceful Reunification of China, the concert took “peace” as the main theme, and arranged a beautiful repertoires that integrated Chinese characteristics with Western classics.

The acclaimed musicians included no less names as Benjamin Beck, principal viola player of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Mira Alkhovik, soprano of the Vienna Volksoper, and Andrei Maksimov, young baritone of the Vienna State Opera. They have all joined ACMA and are functioning as music directors.

In addition, Xu Yichi, ACMA’s executive vice president, led Angelika Brandner, Akihiro Sano, Alla Belova, Zhao Xiaofang, Li Jianhan and other outstanding musicians of the association to perform for the peace concert, offering their moral support as the overseas Chinese musicians for the cause of China’s goal of peaceful reunification with its territories.

With his virtuosity and precise interpretation of the Chinese piece “Song of the Grassland”, a classic work by Guan Qingwu, Benjamin Baker caught the breath of the audience immediately. 

Following the opening piece was a beautifully braided dialogue between classic European opera works and oriental rhythms. From the masterpieces of Puccini and Verdi to the original music of Chinese composers, the music of the East and the West were lively intertwined at the concert. The motif symbolized the inclusiveness and vitality of Chinese culture, and spoke out the wish of a peaceful reunification of both sides of the the Taiwan Strait.

Emotional resonance of duet added a sentimental Viennese touch to the concert. Through Verdi’s “Rigoletto” and the warm memories in Kálmán’s operetta, the singers set off the reconciliation scenes plus a sentimental Viennese touch, reminding the audience of the Chinese traditional spirit of “harmony in diversity”.  

As was well put by Ms LONG Qin, President of ACMA, the concert was not only a feast of art, but also a declaration of peace: When the brushstrokes of the Chinese composers meet the splendor of the Western classical music, and when artists of different skin colors perform on the same stage, music transcends language and national boundaries, becoming mankind’s most authentic yearning for peace.