Chinese pipa virtuoso Guo Mei at the 17th Gaulitana Music Festival in Gozo.

On April 11, in collaboration with the China Cultural Centre in Malta, the 17th Gaulitana Music Festival in Gozo presented the Eastern Hues pipa solo concert by Chinese pipa virtuoso, Guo Mei. This enchanting performance highlighted the captivating allure of Chinese music, featuring the pipa, one of China’s most ancient musical instruments, and left a lasting impression on the local audience.

Among the repertoire were various Chinese classical pieces, including Spring on Moonlit River, Dragon Boat, Empty Sound, and Dance Song of Yi Ethnic Minority. Additionally, Guo pleasantly surprised and delighted the audience by incorporating two contemporary Maltese pieces into her performance.

Colin Attard, the artistic director of the Gaulitana Music Festival, expressed heartfelt appreciation to the China Cultural Centre in Malta for their generous support. Attard noted with enthusiasm that approximately 80 students from two local schools were in attendance, marking the first time students participated in the festival on site. He emphasised that the concert served not only as entertainment but also as enrichment, using music as a universal language to foster cultural understanding and appreciation. The concert is of special significance by opening a new window to China and Chinese culture for the local young generation.

Nataline Debrincat, a teacher from Gozo College Rabat Primary School, and Josephine Xuereb, a teacher from St Francis Primary School, Gozo, conveyed their pleasure in experiencing Chinese traditional music for the first time, noting their students’ deep engagement with the performance.

Yuan Yuan, Director of the China Cultural Centre in Malta, expressed profound gratitude for the longstanding collaboration with the Gaulitana Music Festival and eagerly anticipates bringing more high-quality cultural events to the Maltese public through the festival and other avenues.