From May 1st to 4th, 2025, the 3rd Chengdu Youth Accordion Art Week took place across the Chengdu Cultural Center, Jinsha International Concert Hall, and Chengdu Gade Community Music Hall. The city, vibrant with music and spring blossoms, welcomed young accordionists from across China, reinforcing Chengdu’s title as a City of Music.
Organiser Xia Gang recounted an emotional highlight: “When over 130 children—including competition winners Wang Yinuo, Wang Renyin, Cai Yuqi, Hou Siyi, Zhang Yuchen, Shi Yixiao, Du Xinyue, Yang Yibo, Gao Qihang, Zhang Yixuan, Wang Haoyu, Jin Chengxi, Xu Nuo, Xiang Yanxi, and Li Yijin—performed Singing for the Motherland at the closing ceremony, many in the audience were moved to tears.”
Now in its third year, the event continues its commitment to public welfare and has grown into one of the country’s most influential platforms for accordion education.
This grand event was co-hosted by several key institutions including; the Chengdu Cultural Centre, Jinjiang District Bureau of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, the Accordion and Modern Instruments Department of the Sichuan Conservatory of Music, the Shahu Subdistrict Committee of Jinjiang District, the Shahu Subdistrict Office, the Chengdu Gade Music Research Institute, the Jinjiang District Media Center, and the Sichuan Education Foundation’s Aesthetic Education Fund.
It was jointly organised with Golden Cup Instruments, the Sichuan Accordion Association, Shanghai Xuanjing Art Center, Tianjin Baidi Instruments, Liu Zhao Accordion Studio, Zhong Kai Accordion Studio, Langlang Youth Music Exchange Center, Fujian Fengyu Bayan Accordion School, Hebei Tangshan Phoenix Accordion Studio, and Chengdu’s Wufuqiao Community.
This year’s Art Week surpassed previous editions in scale, content, and international participation. Eight core segments: Artisan Workshops, Pride of Chinese Brands, Champion Youth Performances, Themed Concerts, Artist Showcases, Roundtable Discussions, Master Classes, and Creative Stars—formed a multidimensional accordion art ecosystem.
Day 1 – Wang Xue Workshop, Zhong Kai Fan Meet Up & Sparks Concert
The day began with Artisan Workshops and the Pride of Chinese Brands exhibition. Local manufacturers like Golden Cup, Baidi, and Phoenix displayed advances in Chinese accordion craftsmanship. Shi Jianming of the China Musical Instrument Association’s Accordion Committee praised domestic reed technology, now on par with international standards.
One of the defining aspects of this year’s Art Week was its meaningful integration with local communities, connecting artists, teachers, students and fans informally with a workshop with Wang Xue and a fan meet & greet with Zhong Kai.
The Chengdu Cultural Center also offered free public classes for teachers. Ayi, a music teacher from Liangshan, expressed the value of sessions like Wang Xue’s for educators in remote regions.
Wang Xue is a young concert accordionist and advocate for arts education. She holds a Master’s degree from the College of Music at Shanghai Normal University, where she studied under Professor Li Cong—Vice President of the CIA, President of the Chinese Musicians Association Accordion Society, and Honorary President of the Shanghai Accordion Professional Committee.
A laureate of the 13th Italy International Accordion Competition, she has received numerous awards in both national and international competitions. Wang has performed at leading festivals such as the Shanghai Spring International Accordion Art Festival and the Asia-Pacific International Accordion Festival.
She promotes the development of accordion music through education, outreach, and innovation, and also serves as a juror for competitions and leads award-winning ensemble training programs.
The first day concluded with the Sparks Concert featuring three international accordion artists, 2022 Coupe Mondiale Champion Luka Simic, multiple world champion Grayson Masefield and renowned Chinese accordionist Zhong Kai.
Luka Simic (Serbia) is the 76th winner of the Coupe Mondiale. After studying in Kragujevac under Prof. Vladimir Mandic he is completing his fourth year of specialty studies in St. Petersburg with Prof. Oleg Sharov.
Grayson Masefield, the first person to win both the Coupe Mondiale Senior Classical and Senior Virtuoso categories in the same year, is the tutor for accordion at the University of Auckland and Vice Chairman of the Music Committee for the Confédération Internationale des Accordéonistes.
Zhong Kai is a distinguished Chinese accordionist, educator, and arranger, currently serving as an associate professor and master’s supervisor at the School of Music, Jiangsu Normal University. As a visiting scholar at Western Michigan University (USA), he deepened his research into accordion performance and pedagogy with a focus on cross-cultural music education. He has earned top honors in both national and international competitions, including first prize in the Artist Category of the “Pearl River Cup” National Accordion Competition and second prize in the Jazz Category at the 45th Castelfidardo International Accordion Competition in Italy.
A prolific contributor to accordion education, Zhong has published numerous materials such as Cool Accordion, Fun and Easy Children’s Accordion Pieces, and Classic Chinese Patriotic Songs for Accordion. His composition Impressions of Duixie was featured at Beijing’s National Centre for the Performing Arts, and he has recorded demonstration videos for the Grade 10 syllabus of the Chinese Musicians Association. With hundreds of original and arranged works spanning classical, folk, pop, and film music, Zhong Kai plays a vital role in popularizing the accordion across China through innovative teaching, digital media, and cultural outreach.
Day 2 – Jinyi International Accordion Competition & Roundtable Discussion
The “Jinyi International Accordion Competition” was also held, attracting 195 contestants from music schools all around China, with solo and ensemble categories for all under 18 age divisions.
Notably, the roundtable discussions saw participation surge from 20 teachers in the first year to 40 in the second, and now 75 this year—hailing from China, Russia, Serbia, New Zealand, and Canada, representing 27 cities across 23 Chinese provinces. This exponential growth reflects the Art Week’s expanding influence.
A major new focus this year was the roundtable discussion topic “Exploring the Commercial Applications of the Accordion”—the first time such a topic had been addressed at the Art Week. Though the organisers acknowledged the topic is still in development, it addressed fundamental questions around the long-term sustainability and career pathways of accordion professionals.
Educators, performers, and manufacturers exchanged perspectives over three days, discussing areas such as accordion school models, performance opportunities, and music production. Accordion educator Wang Congyu shared that in Shanghai, accordion music has already been successfully integrated into dining and tourism experiences—an approach she encouraged others to consider. New Zealand’s Grayson Masefield stressed the importance of integrating into different art and music mediums and emphasized digital branding and artistic crossover for today’s musicians, especially for independent artists.
Day 3 – Closing Ceremony and Final Concert
The closing concert showcased all levels of Chinese accordion artistry, a was held in four parts highlighting; themed performances, national and international youth champions, featured artists & original compositions.
It began with the the premiere of Dance on the Border by Japan-based composer Gu Xun, fusing modern composition with folk elements, performed by festival organiser Xia Gang alongside Wang Mai, Yang Yang, Shen Yue, Zhao Sizhi, and Evgeny Gulenkov.
Fifteen award-winning young accordionists, including Wang Yinuo, Wang Renyin, and Cai Yuqi. Their technical command and musical maturity spoke volumes about the strength of China’s current accordion education system. “Seeing these children on stage, I’m convinced that the future of Chinese accordion art is boundless,” said well-known accordionist Zhong Kai.
Ensemble performances by groups such as the Fujian Fengyu Bayan Ensemble, the Shanghai Xuanjing Accordion Ensemble, and the Tianjin Langlang Youth Accordion Ensemble further highlighted the value of collaboration with different chamber music formations and orchestras.
Other professional musicians and teachers just as Sichuan Conservatory musicians Liu Shanshan, Cheng Lu, Shi Cheng, and Yi Lian also delivered stunning performances.
The concert concluded with performances of guest artists Luka Simic, Grayson Masefield and Zhong Kai. For the finale, 130 young performers united in Singing for the Motherland at the closing ceremony, the thunderous applause was more than a tribute to the nation—it symbolised the unbroken chain of Chinese accordion artistry.
As Li Cong, President of the Chinese Accordion Association, urged: “Bold innovation, unwavering original aspirations.” By pushing boundaries while staying true to art’s essence, China’s accordion scene embraces unprecedented opportunities.
Over four days, the Art Week hosted 15 events, drawing more than 1,000 direct participants. Behind these figures were countless quiet moments of connection: elders swaying to music, children curiously exploring accordion keys for the first time, and students eagerly taking notes. The accordion found its way into the rhythms of Chengdu life and with the energy and promise displayed during these four days, the future of Chinese accordion music has never looked brighter.
All the videos from the 3rd Chengdu Youth Accordion Art Week will be uploaded on this YouTube playlist. Subscribe to our channel for more Accordion Worldwide exclusive videos:
