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German choruses stage musical marvels in Taicang

chinadaily.com.cn | Updated: August 27, 2025

The first Taicang Sino-German Choral Week was held in Taicang from Aug 22 to 24, with award-winning German choruses, Berliner Mädchenchor and HXOS Chor Berlin, making their China debut, setting the stage for a cross-cultural musical feast.

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The Berliner Mädchenchor Special Concert graces the Taicang Grand Theater on Aug 22. [Photo/WeChat account: tcfbgw]

The Berliner Mädchenchor Special Concert opened with Beethoven's grand Choral Fantasy at the Taicang Grand Theater on Aug 22.

Following this, a series of German water-themed classics were performed. The interplay between the deep bass and bright soprano, along with the contrast in timbre and well-balanced rhythm, created an ethereal ambiance that transported the audience to the twilight-lit Danube River in Germany.

The choir also presented a more layered rendition of Chinese folk song Jasmine Flower. "The melody of Jasmine Flower is as soft as Chinese silk. We tried to use German harmonies to emphasize its gentleness," said Sabine Wüsthoff, the choir's artistic director and conductor.

To perfectly present this piece, the choir studied the vocals of Jiangnan (the southern regions of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River) folk songs and drew inspiration from Jiangnan Sizhu (a traditional stringed instrument). "This collision itself is the significance of cultural dialogue," she added.

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The HXOS Chor Berlin Special Concert takes center stage at the Taicang Grand Theater on Aug 23. [Photo/WeChat account: tcfbgw] 

On the evening of Aug 23, the HXOS Chor Berlin Special Concert took center stage. The performance, under the baton of Stelios Chatziktoris, featured works from Germany, Scotland, Ireland, Hungary, Greece, and Cyprus. 

From Felix Mendelssohn's Lerchengesang to the Scottish classic folk song Loch Lomond, and from a lively Hungarian dance music to a profound hymn by a contemporary Cypriot composer, the choir painted a broad and delicate map of European music with human voices.

Mentioning how they were feeling when performing in Taicang, Sabine Wüsthoff praised local audience's artistic sensibility, while Stelios Chatziktoris said the city brims with music, kindness, and new friendships. Both conductors shared a belief that music is a universal tongue, fostering resonance amid differences and building cultural bridges for global art.