On the afternoon of November 3rd, the press conference and launch ceremony of the 2026 WAPA International Youth Arts Festival were held in Beijing. Hosted by Julian Waghann from CGTN, China Media Group, the event brought together industry leaders, Chinese and foreign artists and media representatives to open this year's Arts Festival.
Approved by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the PRC, the Arts Festival is hosted by the World Association for Performing Arts (WAPA) and the NCPA, with support from the World Federation of International Music Competitions (WFIMC). The WAPA is an international, professional, non-profit organisation founded in 2020 at the NCPA's initiative. It now has 48 members from 30 countries. With the mission of building an open platform for dialogue across the global performing arts and promoting mutual learning among civilisations, it is committed to providing a stage for young artists worldwide to showcase their abilities and talk sincerely with one another. This year's International Youth Arts Festival is a vivid practice of the WAPA's purpose.
LÜ Jia, Music Director of the NCPA, serves as Artistic Consultant to this year's Arts Festival, and JING Huan, Permanent Conductor of the China National Symphony Orchestra, serves as Guest Conductor. The two artists will join hands with the China NCPA Orchestra to bolster this high-level music event for young people. The Arts Festival features multiple genres of instrumental music, including piano, violin, viola, organ, oboe and percussion, presented by eight first prize winners of top international music competitions from six countries across four continents, who are among the best of today's new generation of classical music performers.
At the press conference, WANG Ning, Chairperson of the WAPA and President of NCPA, took the stage first to deliver a speech. He said that young people are the future of classical music and the most vibrant force in the inheritance of the arts. Jointly hosted by the WAPA and the NCPA, The 2026 WAPA International Youth Arts Festival represents an innovative practice in which we support young artistic talent. It aims to create an open and inclusive platform for international exchange, where young artists from around the world can engage in dialogue, hone their craft, grow and shine. The Festival will not only bring audiences a musical celebration featuring four performances and five exchange activities, but also a series of arts education activities, including free masterclasses in schools, public performances in urban public spaces, and arts sharing sessions, bringing high art beyond the theatre and closer to the public. In the future, we will continue to work hand in hand with performing arts institutions around the world to create platforms for more young artists with artistic aspirations, allowing the arts to shine through exchanges across borders.
After him, Peter Paul Kainrath, President of WFIMC, and LÜ Jia, Artistic Consultant to this year's Arts Festival, delivered speeches successively.
Kainrath said that we owe the fact that this event - the first WAPA International Youth Arts Festival - is taking place to President WANG Ning. His openness and foresight made it possible, first of all, for us to become a member of WAPA last year as part of WFIMC. I was particularly impressed by his determination to champion, above all, the next generation of highly talented performers. And so it was only natural for the NCPA, WAPA and WFIMC to join forces to launch a festival dedicated precisely to these young artists. The WAPA International Youth Arts Festival is more necessary today than ever before. It brings a spirit of innovation to the international music scene, exudes a spirit of the so much needed optimism.
LÜ Jia said that what we hope the audience will hear is not just breathtaking technical mastery, but each young musician's own voice, their own individuality, and their personal understanding of the music. Of course, winning the competition is an honour, but for a young musician, it is even more so the beginning of an artistic journey. I want to say to these young musicians: winning the competition is remarkable, but the world of music is far broader than any competition. I hope you will always keep your passion for music and your curiosity for art, explore courageously, and gradually find the voice that is truly your own.
After them, the eight first prize winners took the stage one by one, interacting with guests and media present, sharing their expectations for this year's Arts Festival.
Guest Conductor JING Huan appeared together with ZHANG Aozhe, First Prize Winner of the 58th Paganini International Violin Competition, and WANG Liya, First Prize Winner of the Piano Category, 74th ARD International Music Competition Munich.
WU Yifan, First Prize Winner of the 65th Ferruccio Busoni International Piano Competition, and Sarah Strohm, First Prize Winner of the Viola Category, Geneva International Music Competition, took the stage and gave a duet performance.
Samuel Giddy, First Prize Winner of the 12th Saint-Maurice International Organ Competition, Alexander Kronbichler, First Prize Winner of the Oboe Category, 19th Aeolus International Wind Competition, and Gabriel Michaud, First Prize Winner of the 8th IPEA International Percussion Competition and First Prize Winner of the Percussion Category, 75th ARD International Music Competition Munich, shared their expectations for attending the first International Youth Arts Festival.
Eric Lu, First Prize Winner of the 19th Chopin International Piano Competition, came on the stage, shared his reflections on growing from competition champion into a mature artist, and gave a brilliant rendition of a piano solo, bringing the atmosphere to a climax.
After the young artists made their collective appearance, the media posed questions to the guests on topics such as future plans, competitions and awards, and collaborations with orchestras.
ZHU Jing, Vice Chairman of the WAPA, and Vice President of the NCPA, stated that young champions, in the course of their growth, need to be continually seen by the world and to earn the recognition and affection of audiences. Building the WAPA International Youth Arts Festival into a brand is an innovative practice. The NCPA provides the stage and pools resources, devoting itself to supporting and nurturing young champions, guiding them in carrying forward traditions, and shouldering the mission and responsibility of a national performing arts center. The partnership between the NCPA and the WFIMC further broadens the international perspective for future cooperation and creates unlimited possibilities. We look forward to this brand-building effort inspiring and mobilizing more arts institutions and dedicated individuals to jointly support the cultivation and nurturing of young artistic talent, so that young champions may grow more rapidly and more smoothly.
Kainrath of the WFIMC introduced the Federation's history and the prestige of the competitions won by the champions taking part in this Arts Festival: The World Federation of International Music Competitions was founded in 1957, with only 13 member organisations at the outset, and has grown to more than 130 competitions joining us today. The champions participating in this Arts Festival come from top-tier events such as the Chopin Piano Competition and the Paganini Violin Competition. These competitions differ from ordinary music performances: they are created jointly by the young talents of the classical music industry, young people who are exploring the world and coming to understand the meaning of life, and it is in these competitions that you can feel the growth of young artists. Today it is our responsibility to build a platform for more young artists and to open the door to professional careers and the international stage for them.
LI Zhe, Executive Director of the China NCPA Orchestra (NCPAO), expressed on behalf of the orchestra what it was like to work with the eight champions: Promoting and supporting young artists is an important social responsibility and cultural mission that a professional orchestra should shoulder. Here, we would like to thank the WAPA, the WFIMC and the NCPA — it is through the joint efforts of all parties that this highly meaningful collaboration has come about. In this collaboration, the eight champions and the NCPAO performed together, showcasing the artistic brilliance of contemporary young performers to audiences in Beijing and across the country, helping more people to know them and supporting their career development. At the same time, this was not merely a showcase of artistic achievement, but also a valuable opportunity for learning and exchange for young audiences across China, especially students engaged in professional studies in this field.
At the host's invitation, the officials, distinguished guests, and eight young musicians made their way to the launching device. As the audience counted down in unison — "3, 2, 1" — the guests together pushed the lever, and golden musical notes blossomed brilliantly on the screen. The 2026 WAPA International Youth Arts Festival was officially inaugurated.
The first WAPA International Youth Arts Festival brings together a new generation of music talents from around the world, and builds a bridge through music for mutual learning among civilisations, not only providing young musicians with a high-level international platform, but also showing the charm of classical music to more people in a rich variety of outreach activities of aesthetic education. Over the coming week, young musicians from around the world will play brilliant youthful melodies in Beijing.
PROGRAMME
“Summit Night” Music Competition 1st Prize Winners Concert I
November 6th, 2026, 19:30 p.m. | Concert Hall, BPAC
Conductor: JING Huan
Organ: Samuel Giddy
Oboe: Alexander Kronbichler
Viola: Sarah Strohm
Piano: Eric Lu
Toccata Festiva, Op. 36 | Barber
Organ: Samuel Giddy
Oboe Concerto in C Major, K. 314 | Mozart
I. Allegro aperto
II. Adagio non troppo
III. Rondo (Allegretto)
Oboe: Alexander Kronbichler
Potpourri mit Fantasie, Op. 94 | Chopin
Viola: Sarah Strohm
Piano Concerto No. 1 in E Minor, Op. 11 | Hummel
I. Allegro maestoso
II. Romanze (Larghetto)
III. Rondo (Vivace)
Piano: Eric Lu
“Summit Night” Music Competition 1st Prize Winners Concert II
November 7th, 2026, 19:30 p.m. | Concert Hall, BPAC
Conductor: JING Huan
Percussion: Gabriel Michaud
Piano: WU Yifan, WANG Liya
Violin: ZHANG Aozhe
Pacific Concerto, for Percussion and Orchestra | Emmanuel Séjourné
Percussion: Gabriel Michaud
Piano Concerto No. 2 in F Major, Op. 102 | Shostakovich
I. Allegro
II. Andante
III. Allegro
Piano: WU Yifan
Piano Concerto in G Major | Ravel
I. Allegramente
II. Adagio assai
III. Presto
Piano: WANG Liya
Violin Concerto No. 1 in D Major, Op. 6 | Paganini
I. Allegro maestoso
II. Adagio
III. Rondo (Allegro spiritoso)
Violin: ZHANG Aozhe
International Music Competition 1st Prize Winners GALA Concert
November 8th, 2026, 14:30 p.m. | Multi-functional Theatre, BPAC
Organ: Samuel Giddy
Oboe: Alexander Kronbichler
Percussion: Gabriel Michaud
Violin: ZHANG Aozhe
Viola: Sarah Strohm
Piano: WU Yifan
Piano: WANG Liya
Duetto in F Major from Clavier-Übung III, Op.18 No.1 | Bach
Fantasia Chromatica | J.P. Sweelinck
Elselein, Liebstes Elselein | Hugo Distler
Organ: Samuel Giddy
Morning in Miaoling | CHEN Gang
La Campanella | Paganini
Violin: ZHANG Aozhe | Piano: WU Yifan
Oboe Sonata in C Minor | Antonio Vivaldi
I. Adagio
II. Allegro
III. Andante
IV. Allegro
Oboe: Alexander Kronbichler | Piano: WANG Liya
Ballade No.2 in S.171 | Liszt
Piano: WANG Liya
Lute Suite BWV 996 | Bach
Prelude
Allemande
Courante
Rebonds | Iannis Xenakis
Percussion: Gabriel Michaud
Capriccio. | Vieuxtemps
Viola: Sarah Strohm
Concert Piece | G. Enescu
Viola: Sarah Strohm | Piano: WU Yifan
Piano Sonata No. 1 in F-sharp Minor, Op. 11 | Schumann
Scherzo: Allegrissimo – Intermezzo
Finale: Allegro, un poco maestoso
Piano: WU Yifan
“Together in Radiance” Music Competition 1st Prize Winners and NCPAO in Chamber
November 9th, 2026, 19:30 p.m. | Multi-functional Theatre, NCPA
Organ: Samuel Giddy
Oboe: Alexander Kronbichler
Clarinet: ZHENG Lirui
Bassoon: LI Tianyou
Cello: LIANG Xiao
Piano: WU Yifan, WANG Liya
Viola: Sarah Strohm
Violin: BAI Yunfei, ZHANG Aozhe, TANG Mingsi
Toccata in G Major with the “Cuckoo” Scherzo | Bernardo Pasquini
Organ: Samuel Giddy
Suite d'apres Corrette, Op. 161 | Milhaud
I. Entree Et Rondeau
II. Tambourin
III. Musette
IV. Serenade
V. Fanfare
VI. Rondeau
VII. Menuets I, II & III
VIIl. Le Coucou
Oboe: Alexander Kronbichler | Clarinet: ZHENG Lirui | Bassoon: LI Tianyou
Piano Trio in B-flat Major, K. 502 | Mozart
I. Allegro
II. Larghetto
III. Allegretto
Violin: BAI Yunfei | Cello: LIANG Xiao | Piano: WU Yifan
Piano Quintet in E-flat Major, Op. 44 | Schumann
I. Allegro brillante
II. In modo d'una marcia (Un poco largamente)
III. Scherzo (Molto vivace) - Trio I -Trio II - Coda
IV. Allegro, ma non troppo
First Violin: ZHANG Aozhe
Second Violin: TANG Mingsi
Viola: Sarah Strohm | Cello: LIANG Xiao
Piano: WANG Liya
