Youth cello music festival to be held in Ningbo

The Second National Youth Cello Music Festival will kick off on Aug 22 in Ningbo, during which a series of activities will be held.

The festival is slated to run until Aug 26 in the city's Yinzhou district. Musicians and scholars from around the world and more than 80 art school students and cello players will participate.

During the five-day event, 11 activities, such as concerts, public classes, art tutorials and forums, will be held. Nine of them will be held in Xianxiang town, hometown of the famous cellist Yo-Yo Ma.

This year's festival aims to integrate music into the local culture and tourism to promote the development of rural areas.

As part of the event, a music-themed trip will be organized in Xianxiang town, which has been building itself into China's first "Cello Town" in recent years.

Youth and adult cello clubs were established in the town in 2014 and 2019. Residents from all walks of life, including farmers, construction workers and canteen workers, have joined the adult cello club. Cello teachers are invited by local authorities to hold public classes in the town periodically.

The former residence of Yo-Yo Ma's family was also transformed into a public cultural center where activities are held every week.