This spring, the 7th International Accordion Culture and Art Week arrived as scheduled. This art festival with the theme of “Echoes of Tradition and Modernity” is not only a musical carnival, but also a symphony of cultural integration, urban vitality, and artistic innovation. 

Top accordion artists from multiple countries and regions around the world, along with outstanding performers from the Yangtze River Delta, gathered in Changning. 

With the sound of the accordion as a link, they connected historical buildings, commercial streets, and people’s lives, painting a magnificent scene of “art and city coexistence.”

On April 5, on the stage of Hongqiao Art Center, the colorful ensemble of “Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix” left the audience in awe, as if they were in a wonderful world of music. 

The first collaboration between Hu Chenyun, a suona performer from Shanghai National Orchestra, and Pietro Adragna, a double champion of Italian electronic accordion, has become the most dazzling “breakthrough moment” of this year’s art week - Hu Chenyun, who plays suona, moved from the audience to Adragna on stage. 

The high pitched and clear suona intertwined with the dynamic sound of electronic accordion, and the bird like melody flowed from the stage to the audience, perfectly blending Eastern and Western art.

At the grand ceremony of Hongqiao Art Center that evening, Swedish “keybutton magician” Leonid kicked off with a song “Skylark,” while Russian young performer Nikita sparked a craze with an adapted version of Chopin’s waltz. 

The Chinese “Sea Organ” band won a lot of applause with Changning’s original work “Falling in Love with This City.” This song, which has won the national “Stars Award,” has been performed by Patrini and Chinese artists in 2024, becoming a symbol of emotional resonance between Chinese and foreign musicians.

During this year’s Accordion Art Week, Changning pioneers the “full-time drive” mode - during the day, the “Roaming the Lane full of the sound of accordion” parent-child activity of Columbia Circle allows art to infiltrate families. 

At night, the cross-border concert at Hongqiao Art Center lights up the urban night sky; On weekday evenings, the “Breeze Terrace Music Concert” promotes the night economy; During the short holiday, the exhibition of excellent programs in the Yangtze River Delta region brings high art to the public.  

Edited by Shanghai Daily