Conductor Cai Jindong leads the orchestra at the opening concert of the 7th China Now Music Festival at Carnegie Hall in New York, the United States, Oct. 12, 2024. (Photo by Zack Zhang/Xinhua)

The 7th China Now Festival opened on Saturday with a groundbreaking focus on AI-driven music at Carnegie Hall, New York City.

"Music serves as an excellent lubricant in U.S.-China relations. It is a form of cultural exchange, a connection from heart to heart," said the festival's Artistic Director Cai Jindong at the U.S.-China Music Forum, held before the opening concert.

Composers discussed the growing role of AI in music at the forum, providing the audience with fresh insights into this emerging frontier.

"With China's rapid development over the past 30 years, we now have the opportunity to explore new frontiers in music creation through AI technology," said Cai.

Co-hosted by the U.S.-China Music Institute of Bard College Conservatory of Music and the Central Conservatory of Music of China (CCOM), the festival runs through Oct. 19, featuring three concerts and a music forum.

This year's theme, "Composing the Future," highlights the intersection of music and AI technology, marking a significant step forward in the collaboration between traditional music composition and cutting-edge technology.

At Saturday's concert, the festival introduced two orchestral works created by the AI and Music Information Technology Department of the CCOM: "Overture: Welcome" and "A Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains."

These pieces leverage AI programing to achieve effects impossible through conventional methods, offering a glimpse into the future of music creation.

Li Xiaobing, director of the AI Composition System at the CCOM, said: "This performance only showcased a small portion of AI-composed music due to the limited equipment in the concert hall. We hope to bring even more immersive sensory experiences to New York next time, potentially even featuring a robot conductor leading the orchestra."

The week-long event brings together five generations of composers and musicians from both China and the United States, spanning from the 1960s to the 2000s. Notable participants include Qin Wenchen from the CCOM and American composer Anthony Paul De Ritis.

The Orchestra Now from Bard College, in collaboration with the CCOM, also performed several contemporary works inspired by Chinese aesthetics. Gong Tianpeng's "Beijing · Opera" and Du Yun's "The Hundred-Headed Beast" stood out as modern interpretations of traditional Chinese culture. Gong's Tenth Symphony, adapted specifically for the festival, integrated elements of Peking (Beijing) opera.

In "Beijing · Opera," instruments such as strings, percussion, and organ were skillfully combined to evoke the traditional charm of Peking opera while incorporating modern symphonic techniques. The violin and cello conveyed the emotional depth of the opera's characters, while the diverse percussion added rhythm and dramatic effect. The organ's inclusion enhanced the work's spatial and solemn qualities, creating a profound experience for the audience.

Paula Meneses, an attendee from the central United States, told Xinhua, "I really enjoyed this concert. The combination of Chinese and American music was fantastic, and I will definitely come again next year!"

The China Now Music Festival, founded in 2017, is dedicated to promoting an understanding and appreciation of music from contemporary China through an annual series of concerts and academic activities. In the previous six seasons, China Now has attracted more than 10,000 live audience members, and nearly 100,000 viewers have participated in online programs. 

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