Young pianist's solo recital marks 40 years of China-U.S. ties

Chinese young pianist Cong Bi premiered a piano solo recital at well-known Carnegie Hall in New York City on Friday in celebration of the 40th anniversary of the establishment of China-U.S. diplomatic ties.

[Photo: carnegiehall.org]

Bi received rounds of applause from near 600 spectators in performing Piano Sonata No. 23 in F Minor "Appassionata" by Beethoven, Davidsbundlertanze, Op. 6 by Schumann, and Pictures at an Exhibition by Mussorgsky.

During the over-two-hour performance, Bi also performed two other pieces by Bach as additional treat to the audience.

"Today, I'm very happy to see what I want to see from Bi Cong," said Steven Fei Fang, artistic director and conductor of the Asian Cultural Symphony of the USA, who got to know Bi about 10 years ago.

Fang said Bi performed pieces with good completeness and showed his seriousness with every musical note.

"Bi demonstrated the shape of a mature pianist at a young age. Bi now is very devoted to his career spontaneously and the cultural difference, encountered by Bi, actually enriched the connotation of his performance," said Fang.

"Today's performance commemorates the 40 years of China-U.S. diplomatic relations," Bi told attendees at a reception after his performance.

Bi said, "The fates of both of our great countries are undoubtedly intertwined. The way in which these two nations manage to form policy based on common ground and work towards mutual benefit in the spirit of cooperation, as the spirit has the potential to be a guiding light towards a prosperous future for the whole world."

"The beauty inherent in music has been and will surely continue to serve as a vital link between our two countries," added Bi.

Bi told Xinhua that he would like to act as an ambassador of cultural exchange between China and the United States.

Studying at Mannes School of Music in New York, Bi aspires to glow on the stage as a Chinese pianist while stressing the need to embody craftsman's spirit and high standards.

Born in a musicians' family in south China's Guangzhou in 1994, Bi has drawn attention as a teenage and staged public performances in China, Germany and other countries.

Hansen Chiang, founder of the Jersey City-based Paulus Hook Music Foundation, which sponsored Bi's solo recital, said that they want to see the rise of more Chinese musicians following Yo-Yo Ma and Lang Lang.

Chiang said the foundation picked Bi to hold his own solo recital at Carnegie Hall with the hope that the performance would open a new window for him.

Established in 2016, the Paulus Hook Music Foundation has sponsored annual two-week-long New York Big Apple Music Festival, which saw around 10 Chinese students come to the United States to embark on systematic studies, according to Chiang.

Jersey City is the most diverse city in the country recognized every single year and it has a growing Chinese community, said Steven Fulop, mayor of Jersey City.

Fulop expressed thanks for Chinese investment and cultural exchange, adding that Chinese contributions in the construction sector have been a great partnership.

China Overseas America, Inc., a real estate developer, is expected to complete the building 99 Hudson, a high-rise residential building in the state of New Jersey.

Fulop said that efforts are under way to strengthen ties between Jersey City and its sister city in China.