As part of the Beijing International Music Festival & Academy (BIMFA), which kicked off in August, a gala concert featuring masters pianists and other instruments was held at the National Center for the Performing Arts (NCPA) in Beijing, delivering a classical music feast to Chinese audiences on Sunday.

Photos: Fang Wanjun

The concert featured several extraordinary pianists including Jerome Lowenthal, winner in three international competitions; Ursula Oppens, who holds five Grammy nominations; and dozens of outstanding musicians across the world. They presented masterpieces from Bach, Schubert and Debussy to Balakirev and Kreisler at the NCPA, the key member of the prestigious international theaters.

Established in 2004, BIMFA is the first and only annual international summer music festival of its kind in today's China. For two weeks each August, artists from all over the world will come together and present a music gala for Chinese audiences.

The 2019 BIMFA takes place from August 11 to 24 in Beijing. Open to pianists, string players and woodwind instrumentalists of all nationalities, BIMFA brings together performing artists, pedagogues and music students from around the world in a unique collaboration to promote high-level teaching, performance and “cultural harmony through music”.

Nowadays, more and more Chinese walk into theaters and savor the glamor of concerts. More high-level facilities and theaters have been established, and an increasing assortment of performances provides audiences more choices. The NCPA, for example, organizes more than 900 commercial performances and more than 1,000 art educational activities, and welcomes over 1.8 million audience members every year.