Pop goes the theater
Festival gives the mainstream music genre an unconventional home in venues in Beijing that typically host plays rather than concerts, Xing Wen reports.
The festival has previously invited foreign artists such as Japanese director Shunji Iwai and his group Hec&Pascal, Greek American musician Yanni, Swedish guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen, Singaporean singer-songwriter Yida Huang and Croatian pianist Maksim Mrvica to perform in Beijing.
Jiang shares his observations of the past decade of live pop music performances in China.
He says there is a growing enthusiasm for live shows but expresses concern over the homogeneity and lack of innovation in music festivals.
"Many new bands and singers who are entering the market through short-video platforms, online talent shows and gigs at livehouses have not yet reached the required level of professionalism," he says.
Despite this, Jiang, who has been involved in pop music production and music event planning for a long time, remains optimistic about the future of China's pop music.
"I've noticed that many teenagers are excellent at playing musical instruments," he says. "The future looks promising, given the continued involvement of a new generation of young pop musicians."
