Artists attend a press conference for the music festival Photo: Courtesy of The Shanghai Symphony Orchestra

The Z+ Music Festival organized by Chinese pianist Zuo Zhang is set to kick off in Shanghai on Friday night.   

The festival's opening night will showcase luminaries such as Zhang Haochen, Ning Feng, and South Korean violinist Clara-Jumi Kang, alongside members of the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra. 

"Another brand-new music festival has emerged. This is not just a new festival, it signifies a new cultural attitude. Music always leads social culture, and young artists are the sparks of this era," said Yu Long, the music director of the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra.

Over the course of 10 days, eight distinctive chamber music concerts will unfold in Shanghai. From classical to modern repertoire, the festival promises diverse musical experiences, including works by Mendelssohn, Schubert, and contemporary composers like Ligeti and Janáček. 

Moreover, audience engagement will be enhanced with pre-concert talks by Zuo Zhang, offering insights into each performance.

Zuo revealed that the primary reason for hosting the music festival in Shanghai is the city's well-established classical music market and its mature audience base. Reflecting on a performance in 2022 alongside Shanghai Symphony Orchestra's principal musicians Li Pei and Zhu Lin, during which they played Schubert and Brahms' piano trio to a sold-out audience of 1,200 at the Shanghai Symphony Hall, Zhang expressed surprise and gratitude. 

"I was somewhat surprised. It shows that Shanghai audiences have a good appetite for chamber music and enjoy it," she said.