<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-10-22/Montreux-Jazz-Festival-China-to-kick-off-in-Suzhou-this-weekend-1xUlmBsniyk/img/6520b4dc0f984bcca786e522cd3fd733/6520b4dc0f984bcca786e522cd3fd733.jpeg' alt='A poster for the third edition of the Montreux Jazz Festival China, which is set to take place in Suzhou. /Photo provided to CGTN'
The third edition of the Montreux Jazz Festival China is set to take place in the Chinese city of Suzhou this weekend, from October 25 to 27, featuring musicians from both China and abroad, with the aim of connecting East and West through music.
Over the course of the three-day festival, 21 bands will take to the stage–14 of which have made the trip to China from overseas.
Kicking off the festival is China’s renowned pingtan artist Gao Bowen and the Wonderland Band. Originating from Suzhou in east China’s Jiangsu Province and flourishing in Shanghai, the art form of pingtan has a history of more than 200 years and has a mass audience base in south China.
As the director of the Shanghai Pingtan Troupe, Gao, unlike many conservative traditional artists, wants to bring pingtan into the modern age and blend it with different genres. In the opening show, Gao will join forces with a jazz band for an exciting crossover performance to show that music truly has no boundaries.
<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-10-22/Montreux-Jazz-Festival-China-to-kick-off-in-Suzhou-this-weekend-1xUlmBsniyk/img/249abcbd20c94595b6baa0b653461376/249abcbd20c94595b6baa0b653461376.jpeg' alt='Posters show some of the artists participating in the third edition of the Montreux Jazz Festival China. /Photo provided to CGTN'
One of the most anticipated overseas bands for Chinese festival-goers is Al McKay’s Earth, Wind & Fire Experience, who will take to the lakeside stage on October 26. The “Queen of Bass” Ida Nielsen, Prince’s bassist and one of the top 10 bassists in the world, will take to the stage on October 25.
The internationally renowned Montreux Jazz Festival was founded in Switzerland in 1967 by Claude Nob and traditionally runs for two weeks every summer. Many music legends, from Prince and B.B. King to Johnny Cash and Stevie Wonder, have performed on its stage in front of hundreds of thousands of spectators each year.
The first edition of the Montreux Jazz Festival China was held in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province in 2021.
The festival has also held editions in such diverse locations as Sao Paulo, Detroit, Atlanta, Singapore, Tokyo, and Rio de Janeiro.
