The Shanghai Symphony Orchestra (SSO) has unveiled the lineup for its 15th annual Music in the Summer Air Festival (MISA) set to return this summer. The festival will showcase a mix of established artists and emerging talent, with performances by a variety of artists and ensembles from around the world.
Highlights of the festival include the world premiere of Elliot Leung’s “Wuxia” to commemorate the 100th anniversary of novelist Jin Yong’s birth. Additionally, there will be a world premiere of a new two-piano eight-hands arrangement of Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons” by Shi Shucheng.
The festival will also serve as a platform for young musicians, with performances by children and youth choirs, music students, and a celebration marking the 10th anniversary of the Shanghai Orchestra Academy. Furthermore, there will be 13 ‘Across the City’ activities where musicians will perform at various landmarks around Shanghai.
The lineup features performances by artists such as the New York Philharmonic, Benjamin Appl, La Risonanza, and Ning Feng. The festival will include concerts in the Concert Hall and Chamber Hall at Jaguar Shanghai Symphony Hall, as well as 7 free Open Air events, 5 cultural talks, and the ‘Across the City’ activities.
The festival opens at the Jaguar Shanghai Symphony Hall with the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra performing a program that includes music by Chopin, Brahms, Strauss, and Mendelssohn. There will also be performances by visiting artists such as Benjamin Appl, Ning Feng, and Thomas Hampson, among others.
In addition to the main stage performances, there will be chamber concerts featuring a variety of musicians and ensembles. The festival will also feature a gala concert to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Shanghai Orchestra Academy.
MISA Open Air concerts will take place on the Shanghai Urban Music Lawn, featuring performances by harmonica player Gianluca Littera, the JZ Big Band, a tango trio, the Italian Saxophone Quartet, and more. Cultural talks and ‘Across the City’ events will also be part of the festival program, focusing on different cultural topics and showcasing performances at various locations across Shanghai.
