The author: Crystal Wang (王从余 Congyu Wang) is a renowned accordionist and educator in China. She currently serves as Member of the CIA Music Committee, Deputy Secretary-General of Chinese Accordion Association (CAA), Director of Accordion Professional Committee of Shanghai Musicians Association, Dean of the Department of Western Music at the Shanghai Normal University Music College, Professor of the Accordion Major, and Master’s Supervisor.

Enjoy this comprehensive overview of art events from July to August taking place across China this summer. These events will bring together accordion enthusiasts, masters, and rising stars from around the world for a series of concerts, competitions, workshops, and cultural exchanges.

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On the evening of July 9, 2025, at the Shanghai Urban Lawn Music Plaza, Mao Junhao, a young accordionist, took the lead in performing “The Castle above Clouds”. The three – movement piece “Beethoven in China” combines Beethoven’s classic works with Chinese characteristics.

The first movement integrates “Pathétique Sonata” with the Chinese folk song “Little Cabbage”; the second movement fuses “Moonlight Sonata” with Inner Mongolian melodic lines; the third movement gives a new twist to “Ode to Joy”, blending Chinese and Western elements in a festive style and depicting a traditional Chinese happy – reunion scene.

This new interpretation of the work creates a new form of musical innovation and integration. The combination of accordion, piano, and strings makes the repertoire a dialogue between the classic and the modern, harmonious and full of new ideas. The lawn – concert format allows the public to experience a unique musical atmosphere.

Another piece performed was Ravel’s “Ma mère l’oye Suite”. The chirping of cicadas on the summer lawn echoed the stage music, creating a new summer impression of Ravel’s work. At the same time, the flickering lights coordinated with the flow of the music, and the visual stimulation made the music more vivid.

The entire concert spanned Chinese and Western music, as well as ancient and modern times. It not only had profound expressions but also demonstrated exquisite techniques. A large number of citizens gathered on Yan’an East Road, experiencing the beauty of music on the lawn in the breeze.

Mao Junhao
Mao Junhao is a young accordionist who is currently pursuing a Doctor of Music degree in accordion performance at the Central Conservatory of Music. He won the first prize in the Concert Artist Division of the International Accordion Competition Klingenthal in Germany. He is the first young talent in the accordion field to receive the National Arts Fund.

He is also a top – notch innovative talent at the Central Conservatory of Music, selected for the first “Hanergy” Art Talent Fund, the recipient of the Baosteel Education Fund Award, and has been titled as a “Special Contributor” at the Guangdong Provincial Arts Festival. He has won awards in more than 20 major domestic and international competitions.

Mao Junhao has performed solo and concerto works at renowned music venues both at home and abroad, such as the Berlin Philharmonic Hall, the Concert Hall of the National Centre for the Performing Arts, the Opera Hall of the Central Conservatory of Music, the Beijing Concert Hall, and the Jaguar Shanghai Symphony Hall. As a soloist, he has collaborated with many conductors, including Yu Feng, Zhang Guoyong, Li Xincao, Chen Lin, Zhang Yi, and Lin Daye. He has also performed accordion concertos with orchestras like the Symphony Orchestra of the Central Conservatory of Music, the China National Symphony Orchestra, the Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra, the Ningbo Symphony Orchestra, and the Vogtland Philharmonic Orchestra in Germany.

Atmosphere photo 1-3

“Summer Charm” of the Shanghai Urban Lawn Concert

Since 2014, the Shanghai Urban Lawn Music Plaza in Huangpu District has served as a permanent outdoor venue for the Shanghai Summer Music Festival (MISA). Over the past decade, it has accompanied citizens through countless delightful summer evenings, evolving into a signature public welfare cultural event of Shanghai’s summer.

The accordion holds a notable place in the festival’s history. Last year, renowned accordionist Ksenija Sidorova staged a concert here: on July 5, 2024, at the Jaguar Shanghai Symphony Hall, she joined forces with baritone Benjamin Appl for “Venice by Night,” delivering a splendid musical experience.

The 2025 event takes place from July 5 to 13, with performances starting at 20:00 daily at the Shanghai Urban Lawn Music Plaza (No. 523 Yan’an East Road), which can accommodate approximately 1,500 audience members.

Program Picture
Program
Accordion: Mao Junhao | Violin: He Shucong
Cello: Zhu Xinle | Piano: Liu Muyu
1. Wen Ziyang: “Beethoven in China”
I. Dialogue of Sadness
II. The Moonlit Prairie
III. Joyful Dance
2. Ravel: “Ma mère l’Oye” (Mother Goose) Suite
I. Pavane of the Sleeping Beauty
II. Little Tom Thumb
III. Laideronnette, Empress of the Pagodas
IV. The Fairy’s Conversation
V. The Gardens of Beauty
3. Kodály: “Sonata for Solo Cello” (3rd Movement)
4. Xu Pei: “Chinese Melody Medley”
5. Schnittke: “Suite in the Old Style”
I. Courante
II. Sarabande
III. Gavotte
IV. Gigue
V. Musette
6. Chen Xinyi: “Abbandono Tango”
7. Chen Xinyi: “The Castle above Clouds”