As night fell and a gentle breeze blew, French harmonica player Laurent Maur and his jazz band quartet performed at an open-air theater in Beijing's Tongzhou District, offering the audience a delightful auditory experience.

With Maur's lips moving and fingers leaping ceaselessly on the harmonica, the instrument's sound blended with the melodies of the flute, piano, and jazz drums, creating a cascade of wondrous notes.

As their performance concluded, Maur greeted the audience with simple phrases in Chinese and, together with his band, bowed to thunderous applause.

Born in Paris in 1970, Maur has won numerous awards in international harmonica competitions, and his performances have spanned across the globe for decades. This time, he was invited as a special guest to perform at the Taihu Jazz Festival 2024.

Hosted by China's National Center for the Performing Arts (NCPA), the festival gathered more than 200 jazz musicians from China, France, Hungary, Cuba, and other countries on May 22-26 to present over 50 jazz concerts, creating a new melody of cultural exchange.

In 2008, Maur lost his job performing in restaurants in France due to the economic recession. When hearing that some of his peers were doing well in China, Maur visited China for the first time in 2010.

Recalling that first visit, he admitted to experiencing a "culture shock." However, he quickly felt a sense of belonging.

"For jazz, no matter where you are in the world, as soon as everyone plays together, connections are made, and you become friends," he said, adding that he has made many Chinese friends who are "generous and open."

Since then, Maur has traveled back and forth between China and France. In 2018 alone, he visited 24 Chinese cities, including Xi'an, Wuhan, and Guangzhou, during a 28-day tour. Whether in a small club or a large theater, he enjoyed every moment and was deeply impressed by China's vastness, rich gastronomy, and regional differences.

Maur's experiences in China, the friends he has made, and traditional Chinese music have all provided continuous inspiration for his music over the years. He has tried to incorporate Chinese elements into his arrangements.

When discussing the development of jazz, Maur expressed his satisfaction, noting that with the flourishing of jazz education in recent years, the number of young people who enjoy or play jazz has significantly increased, and the audience has generally become younger.

He is also delighted by the booming jazz scene in China. For example, he said the young audience is enthusiastic and truly engaged when he performs there.

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France. In Maur's eyes, music has played a crucial role in cultural exchanges between the two countries.

"Just like how I only speak simple Chinese, yet I am deeply moved when appreciating Chinese classical music because the music itself is beautiful," he said. "As long as musicians put their hearts into creating good works, music can facilitate mutual understanding between people."

This was echoed by Qiu Zeyan, a music lover from Beijing who came with friends to hear Maur and his band perform at the Taihu open-air theater last week. "Music transcends boundaries," the 29-year-old said, emphasizing how it enables people from diverse backgrounds to resonate and foster deeper understanding and communication.

"I might develop an interest in French jazz after watching their performance," she added with a smile.

In Maur's opinion, jazz represents more of a state of mind, and he is striving to engage in a dialogue with everyone through music. "I hope my Chinese friends and audience can enjoy and immerse themselves in my music, forget their worries, and share a wonderful time together in the music," said the musician. 

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