Students at the closing concert for the four-day harp summer camp on Aug 15. [Photo by Su Guanming/For China Daily]
In 2011, when harpist Wang Guan launched a summer camp program at the Forbidden City Concert Hall in Beijing as part of the Gateway to Arts Summer Festival, there were only 30 students and none of whom knew anything about the harp.
This year, the program attracted 45 students aged between 5 and 12.
The four-day program concluded with a concert held at the Forbidden City Concert Hall on Aug 15, with all the students performing in different ensembles.
Harpist Wang Guan. [Photo by Su Guanming/For China Daily]
"Every year, we have students with no knowledge of the harp. It is less well-known in China, compared to other Western musical instruments, like the piano and the violin. It has been a challenging process but very rewarding," says Wang, the program's artistic director, who teaches at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing.
Having established itself as one of Beijing's biggest annual arts festivals for children during the summer vacation since it was first launched in 1995, the Gateway to Arts Summer Festival takes place in the capital each year from July 2 to Aug 31.
The harp summer camp is one of the 12 programs, alongside classes in percussion, vocal performance and pop music composition.
Students at the closing concert for the four-day harp summer camp on Aug 15. [Photo by Su Guanming/For China Daily]
The harp summer camp program ended with a concert on Aug 15. [Photo by Su Guanming/For China Daily]
