Chinese pianist Lang Lang Photo: IC

A press conference for "2023 Happy Chinese New Year," a series of cultural events, was held in Beijing on Monday, during which time organizers introduced the diverse activities that will be held both online and offline around the world to celebrate the Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, including temple fairs and music concerts.

Famous Chinese pianist Lang Lang will be the ambassador of the cultural event, organizers announced.

One of highlights of the cultural event is a music concert, Echoes of Tang Poetry, set to be held in Philadelphia and New York on January 6-7, 2023. The concert will see 15 young singers from 10 countries perform with the Philadelphia Orchestra. The foreign singers will use Chinese to perform ancient Chinese poetry, merging traditional Chinese culture with Western art forms.

Another concert planned by the China National Traditional Orchestra and the Suzhou Symphony Orchestra will be streamed for audiences around the world on January 14, 2023.

Zhao Cong, director of the China National Traditional Orchestra, told the Global Times that they selected several classic pieces of traditional Chinese music to suit the atmosphere of celebrating the Chinese New Year.

Besides passing on tradition, Zhao and her team have also gotten creative with some performances, such as reviving tradition through advanced technology such as extended reality and augmented reality.

"Through the performance, we will combine virtual scenes with the stage in reality, integrating artistic creativity with Chinese cultural values, and unifying the Chinese aesthetic spirit with contemporary aesthetic pursuits," Zhao noted.

Different musical traditions around the world will collide on stage at the concert, where Lang Lang will play the piano accompanied by Chinese instruments such as the guqin.