The first concert celebrating the 100th anniversary of the establishment of Sun Yat-Sen University (SYSU) was held at Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall on the night of March 31. Nearly 3000 alumni and students participated in this event.

Sun Yat-sen University centennial concert is held at Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall. [Photo by Xiao Yao]

Co-organized by Alumni Association, Education Development Foundation and other institutions of SYSU, the concert was free and only open to SYSU teachers, students and alumni. The SYSU art fund fundraising activities were launched at the same time.

The performers of this concert are all from SYSU, including Zhao Yangmingtian, the president of the World Piano Teachers' Association (WPTA) in China and Steinway artist, and Gao Yang, winner of China's highest music Award --- Golden Bell Award. Yuan Yuan, the special guest of the Grammy Award A Far Cry Project also performed.

Zhao Yangmingtian played two Liszt’s classic pieces---Hungarian Rhapsody No.6 and Hungarian Rhapsody No.2, to bring the audience a taste of the unique charm of Gypsy folk music. Lin Weidong, Feng He and Li Siyuan jointly presented the Song of Valencia, which released the strong Spanish style. Zhao also played Liuyang River, a Hunan folk song, with Li Yan, the assoiciate professor of SYSU, dancing for it. Cooperating with the violist Yuan Yuan, Zhao played Butterfly Lovers, which tells us a sad Chinese love story.

Zhao Yangtianming and Li Yan are performing Liuyang River.[Photo by Xiao Yao]

Gao Yang, Li Siyuan and Lin Weidong played the guzheng repertoire Cang Ge Yin and integrated guzheng, piano and percussion instruments to expressed their admiration for life. Zhao, Li and Wang Yiting played the Cantonese song Colorful Clouds Chasing the Moon and Brahms Hungarian Dance No. 5 in four hands, showing the Eastern and Western nationalities.

Gao Yang, Li Siyuan and Lin Weidong are playing Cang Ge Yin.[Photo by Xiao Yao]

At the end of the concert, all audience stood up and sang the school song of SYSU.

The audience stands up and sings the school song. [Photo by Xiao Yao]

Chen Yongqiang, a master of Chinese arts and representative of Lingnan Painting School, donated a traditional Chinese painting created by himself to the university. The painting is named “Nan Tian March Dance Dan Long”, literally meaning the dancing red loong in Ling Nan Area (South China) in March, on which kapok is in full bloom and luxuriant, expecting that Sun Yat-sen University can continue to thrive.

Two officials of Sun Yat-sen University are receiving the painting on behalf of the university. [Photo by Xiao Yao]

According to China Youth Daily, all the funds raised will be invested in the Sun Yat-sen University Art Fund, which is used to introduce art talents, hold art activities, support art creation and research, and other art related work.