The 2025 Conference of the World Federation, along with an international Marketing and Communications Forum, comes to China for the first time!
69TH WfiMC GENERAL ASSEMBLY & International Forum for Marketing and Communication 世界国际音乐比赛联盟 第69届年度大会
HARBIN, CHINA 25~28 JUNE, 2025
1
2
Dear Members, dear Friends and Colleagues,
It´s a great pleasure to invite you today to the 2025 General Assembly in Harbin, China. We are happy to be back in Asia, and especially excited to visit China for the first time in the Federation´s history. Harbin, a vibrant city at the crossroads of North Asia, boasts a lively history shaped by Russian, Chinese, and European influences over the past century. Once a bustling railway hub on the Trans-Siberian line, Harbin evolved into a cultural melting pot, now renowned for its music scene, with festivals and performances that echo its cosmopolitan roots and gave it the title of UN City of Music. The city’s European- style monuments, like the majestic Saint Sophia Cathedral, stand as enduring symbols of its rich past. While famed for its winter ice festival, Harbin’s summers are equally enchanting, with scenic river parks, open-air concerts, and a thriving café culture bringing the city to life. Following the succes of our WFIMC Marketing Forum in Parma last year, we are planning a similar conference this year. The first two days of the conference, open to the public, will focus on cultural diplomacy and the role of classical music in China and Asia; music education, and various marketing topics. A third conference day will be dedicated to member competitions and World Federation issues. You will find a schedule and basic conference information in these pages in order for you to plan your itinerary and reserve a hotel room. Registration for the conference is now open; more details will follow during the next weeks, along with the official assembly documents. The WFIMC Secretariat as well as our colleagues in Harbin are at your disposal for any information and help you may require- please do not hesitate to contact us.
Welcome to Harbin, China! Yours Sincerely
Peter Paul Kainrath President
Florian Riem Secretary General
3
Songhua River, Sun Island and Harbin´s Songbei District
day I Wednesday, 25 JUNE 2025 Shangri-La Songbei, Harbin
Arrival at Harbin See « Access » page in this brochure for information on flights and itineraries. All international delegates will be offered car transfers from Harbin Taiping Airport to the Shangri- La Songbei Hotel.
Hotel Check-in
from 14:00
Conference Registration Shangri-La Hotel / 2F Lobby (Grand Ballroom)
from 16:00
Welcome Dinner. Hosted by Wang Hesheng, Mayor of Harbin Great Ballroom, Shangri-La Hotel Dress code: formal
17:30-19:30
Transfer to downtown (optional)
19:30
Evening walk through Central Street Welcome Reception (cocktails) at Modern Hotel
Return to hotel
21:30
5
Harbin Baroque Quarter
day II FORUM FOR MARKETING AND COMMUNICATION
Thursday, 26 June 2025 Shangri-La Songbei, Harbin / Harbin Ballroom
Registration open
08:00
Official Opening Ceremony With representatives of Central Government of the PRC, Heilongjiang Province, Harbin City, and Chantal Delli, Minister, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Switzerland in China
09:00-10:00
Coffee and Networking
10:00-10:30
Session I Keynote and Panel Discussion: “Music across Borders - the Role of Cultural Diplomacy amid Geopolitical Challenges”
10:30-12:00
Michael Haefliger, Chief Executive, Lucerne Festival Jacques Marquis, President and CEO, The Cliburn Mark Coughlan, Executive Director, Piano Plus Australia Didier Schnohrk, Secretary General, Concours de Genève Sngkn Kim, Professor, Seoul National University Moderator: Florian Riem
Lunch break
12:00-13:30
Session II Panel Discussion “Classical Music trends in China and beyond- an inventory” Representative from NCPA Beijing tba Byoung Gug Chuong, Chairman, Arts Council Korea Christel Hon, Esplanade Theatres on the Bay, Singapore Moderator: Peter Paul Kainrath
13:30-14:45
Coffee and Networking
14:45-15:15
WFIMC General Meeting I (full Members only)
15:15-17:00
Alternative Program for Associate Members and Guests: Visit to Harbin Ice and Snow World
Bus transfer to Harbin Concert Hall
17:30
Visit to Harbin Concert Hall and Family Photo
18:00-18:30
Bus transfer to city center
18:30-19:00
Visit to Harbin Baroque Quarter (see photo on left)
19:00-20:30
Dinner at Wei Hu Shan (Harbin Hot Pot)
20:30
Bus transfer to Hotel
22:00
7
3
Harbin Ice and Snow World
day III FORUM FOR MARKETING AND COMMUNICATION
Friday 27 June 2025 Shangri-La Songbei, Harbin
Registration open
09:00
Session III Panel Discussion “Advancing today´s Music Education: Chinese Universities and their international counterparts” Changyong Liao, President, Shanghai Conservatory of Music Chan Wing Wah, JP, Associate Dean, School of Music, Chinese University of Hong Kong at Shenzhen Feng Wen, President, Sichuan Conservatory of Music Danwen Wei, Director of Piano Dep, Central Conservatory of Music Moderator: Sisi Ye
09:30-10:45
Coffee and Networking
10:45-11:15
Session IV Keynote and Panel Discussion “Online Promotion and Marketing Strategies in a rapidly changing environment” Till Janczukowicz, Founder, IDAGIO Tiger Lu, Co-Founder and Marketing Director, Amadeus.tv Victoria Tafferner, Berlin Phil Media
11:15-12:45
Chao Gu, Kajimoto Music Moderator: Rob Hilberink
Lunch
12:45-14:15
Session V Panel Discussion “Building Sustainable Careers- best practices” Michael Haefliger, Chief Executive, Lucerne Festival Amanda Smith, President and CEO, Honens Till Janczukowicz, Founder, IDAGIO Hao Zhou, Arcadia Innovative Management Rob Hilberink, Executive Director, Liszt Utrecht/ICCR Moderator: Päivi Pousar
14:15-15:30
Coffee and Networking
15:30-16:00
Round Tables - Expanding your network in China 1. String and Wind Instruments 2. Piano 3. Conducting and Vocal Disciplines
16:00-17:00
Dinner (buffet restaurant at the Shangri-La)
from 17:30
Bus transfer to Harbin Grand Theatre (opera house)
19:00
Opening Concert Harbin Summer Music Festival Harbin Symphony Orchestra and other ensembles Dress code: formal
19:30 - 21:30
Bus transfer to Hotel
21:30
9
day IV
Saturday 28 June 2025 Harbin Concert Hall
Bus Transfer to Harbin Concert Hall
09:00
WFIMC General Meeting II
10:00-12:30
Bus transfer
13:00
River Cruise on the Songhua River (includes lunch)
13:30-15:00
Transfer to Central street
15:00
Guided City Tour (ca. 1 hour)
Free time
Dinner (Lao Chu Jia)
18:30
(optional) Movie Presentation “Spirit of String”- A documentary on Suli Xue, Alice Schoenfeld and a century of music in Harbin
20:30
Return to Hotel
22:30
Harbin- the Paris of the East
10
day v
Sunday 29 June 2025 Departure from Harbin & Beijing Excursion
Departure for Harbin Airport
08:00
Flight CA8384 (Air China) Harbin (HRB)- Beijing Daxing (PKX)
10:00-12:15
Bus transfer to City center Sandwiches provided in the bus Your luggage can stay on the bus
13:00
Tour of Forbidden City Please leave your bags/rucksacks in the bus and take only very small handbag or wallet- otherwise long lines at security
14:30-17:00
Transfer to Hotel
17:00
Check-in and free time
17:30-19:30
walk to Dinner (Peking Duck Restaurant)
19:30-21:30
11
day vI
Monday 30 June 2025 Excursion to the Great Wall of China
Departure from Hotel
09:00
Visit to Great Wall of China at Mutanyu
10:30-15:00
Return to Beijing
15:00
Farewell Dinner
19:00
12
Conference Speakers
Chan Wing Wah has written 10 symphonies plus over 200 musical works for Chinese, Western, Japanese and Korean instruments. Seven of his ten Symphonies were released on CD by Hugo Productions, performed by orchestras in Hong Kong and Russia. Chan received his BA in music from The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), and his Master and Doctor of Music (Composition) from the University of Toronto. He had served as an Executive Committee member of the International Society for Contemporary Music and the Vice- Chairman of the Asian Composers’ League. Having previously been Professor of Music and Associate Dean of Arts at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Chan is now Associate Dean of the School of Music, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen). He also serves as Chairman of the music copyright organization “Composers and Authors Society of Hong Kong”, as Chairman of the Hong Kong Association of Choral Societies, and as Music Director of the Hong Kong Oratorio Society. Having received a number of important awards for his compositions, the government of Hong Kong SAR appointed him “Justice of the Peace” in 2000 for his achievements.
Michael Haefliger is an internationally renowned arts
Chao Gu - A long-time producer and promoter in the fields of classical and jazz music, Chao Gu is currently working at the music agency KAJIMOTO (Tokyo/Shanghai offices), where his responsibilities include international touring and artist management. Past projects include coordinating China tours
manager and musician as well as the Executive and Artistic Director of Lucerne Festival. Born in Berlin in 1961, Haefliger began learning violin and piano at the age of six and completed his violin studies at The Juilliard School of Music in New York in 1983. He subsequently earned an Executive MBA degree from the University of St. Gallen in 1999, completing its interdisciplinary management program across the schools of Economics, Law, and Social Sciences. From the beginning of his career, Haefliger has been active at leading European music festivals. As a concert violinist in the early 1980s, he performed at the festivals in Lucerne, Interlaken, and Spoleto, among others. He made his debut at Lucerne Festival in 1985 — which at that time was known as the Internationale Musikfestwochen Luzern — performing alongside his brother Andreas. In 1986, he co-founded the «Young Artists in Concert» Festival in Davos, which he directed until 1998. From 1996 to 1998, he was also Artistic Director of Collegium Novum Zürich.
for renowned ensembles and artists such as the Münchner
Philharmoniker, Orchestre National de Lyon, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Sir András Schiff, and Alexandre Kantorow. Chao Gu is active as a host for various podcasts and frequently publishes music reviews in major newspapers and magazines.
13
Conference Speakers
Till Janczukowicz has over 30 years of experience as a producer, artist and education manager, concert promoter, and serial entrepreneur. He has worked with some of the world’s most sophisticated artists, like Alfred Brendel, Mitsuko Uchida, Svjatoslav Richter and Krystian Zimerman. Before founding HelloGenius in 2024, Till established the classical music streaming service IDAGIO (2015), the performing arts series Abu Dhabi Classics for the UAE Government (2008), the European office of Columbia Artists Management Inc. (2000), and a youth big band featuring some of the finest jazz musicians (1994). In 2015, Till founded IDAGIO, the world’s first genre-specific music streaming service. Originally envisioned as a platform to connect artists directly with their fans, IDAGIO evolved into the “Spotify for classical music and today offers video and audio streaming to customers in over 160 countries.
Sngkn Kim is a renown specialist for Korean music, and a professor at Seoul National University as well as a Board member of the Korea Culture Information Service Agency. A founding member of the KBS Symphony Orchestra and ㅍ co-founder and Managing Director of the Tongyeong International Music Festival, Sngkn Kim has received numerous awards such as the Korean National Composers Prize and the Yumin Prize. He has been commissioned by the National Gugak Center and the Seoul Metropolitan Orchestra of Traditional Music, and is active as director and producer in a multitude of Korean and international arts and culture projects.
Changyong Liao , President of Shanghai Conservatory, is also regarded as China’s most distinguished Baritone. His illustrious career has shone brightly on international opera and concert stages. He has played leading roles in numerous opera classics, including The Barber of Seville, Rigoletto, and A Masked Ball. In recent years, Liao has devoted himself to creating and performing original Chinese operas and art songs. Plácido Domingo once praised him as “a genuine, China- made, world-class singer.”
14
Conference Speakers
Tiger Lu was born in Shenyang and studied at the Central Academy of Drama and Goldsmiths, University of London. He previously worked at the Branding Department of the National Centre for the Performing Arts (Beijing), in charge of classical music projects. Later, he co-founded amadeus.tv, where he currently serves as Marketing Director and Chief Officer of MusicToday.
Victoria Tafferner is a digital strategist and cultural manager with extensive experience in classical music communication, storytelling, and audience development. As Head of Social Media at Berlin Phil Media, she is responsible for shaping the public voice of the Berliner Philharmoniker’s Digital Concert Hall across global platforms. Drawing on her background as a professional musician and her deep understanding of cultural communication, Victoria plays a key role in driving the strategic integration of digital storytelling and participation into the orchestra’s broader public engagement efforts — continuously shaping its global presence in close collaboration with marketing and artistic teams.
Didier Schnorhk has been Secretary General of the Geneva International Music Competition since 1999. He is responsible for its administrative and financial operations as well as coordinating its artistic management. As the competition’s spokesperson, he ensures its reputation both locally and internationally. He graduated from the Geneva Conservatory as a cellist and was a professional musician performing with a range of ensembles in Geneva (Orchestre de la Suisse Romande and Geneva Chamber Orchestra) and Lausanne (Sinfonietta, Ensemble instrumental) before devoting himself to arts administration. In 1995, he became Deputy Artistic Director of the Geneva Chamber Orchestra and subsequently began his role within the management of the Geneva International Music Competition. He is also the author of numerous evening programmes, a regular contributor to radio broadcasts and frequently visits the Geneva School of Music. Vice President from 2006 to 2015, Didier Schnorhk held the position of president of the World Federation of Intl. Music Competitions from 2015 to 2021.
15
Conference Speakers
Danwen Wei is hailed as one of the most outstanding musicians of his generation. Performing with major orchestras around the world, the Chinese pianist is a graduate of The Juilliard School and was one of the last pupils of the legendary pianist Vladimir Horowitz. He is now a much sought after teacher in China and a frequent adjudicator in both national and international piano competitions. A faculty member of summer festivals like Musicfest Perugia in Perugia, Italy and Beijing Music Festival and Academy, Wei is currently on the faculty of the Central Conservatory of China in Beijing, where he became chair of the piano department in 2019.
Dr. Byoung Gug Choung has served as the Chair of Arts Council Korea (ARKO) since 2023. He was formerly Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism and a longtime member of the National Assembly (2000 to 2020). During his term as minister in 2011, he helped the city of Pyeongchang to win its bid for the 2018 Winter Olympics and Paralympics. In 2010, he served as Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Culture, Sports, Tourism, Broadcasting, and Communications of the National Assembly. Choung holds a doctoral degree in Political Science from Sungkyunkwan University and
Christel Hon is the Assistant Head of Music at Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay, Singapore’s national performing arts centre. With a career in the arts spanning since 2005, she plays a key role in shaping Esplanade’s music and dance programming, where she oversees all classical music programming at Esplanade, having presented renowned international orchestras such as the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Berlin Philharmonic, and Staatskapelle Dresden. Outside of her role at Esplanade, Christel Hon serves on the assessment panels of the National Arts Council and co-lectures the Music Programming & Production module at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, National University of Singapore.
a master’s degree in Public Administration from Yonsei
University. More recently, he was a Senior Researcher of the Institute for Peace and Unification Studies at Seoul National University (2021- 2023).
16
Conference Speakers
Hao Zhou, co-founder and currently Co-Managing Director of Arcadia Innovative Management, a Shanghai headquartered music agency, is a music agent and curator in China with wide international experience. Active both in artist management and orchestra touring, he currently represents some 30 artists in China, including Leonidas Kavakos, Viktoria Mullova, Emmanuel Pahud, Vassily Sinaisky, as well as Long Yu, Yang Yang, Huang Yi, Shanghai Quartet, Li-Wei Qin, and others. The orchestras he has toured to China during recent years include Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Budapest Festival Orchestra, Rotterdam Philharmonic, NDR Radiophilharmonie, BBC orchestra, and Berliner Barock Solisten.
17
Hotel information
Accommodation Official Conference Hotel:
Shangri-La Songbei, Harbin No. 1 Songbei Avenue, Songbei Dist. Harbin 150028 PRC
Phone: (86 451) 5862 9999 E-mail: harbinsongbei@shangri-la.com
Check-in time : 2pm Check-out time : 12 noon
Facilities : 344 Guest Rooms 3 Restaurants and 24hr Room Service Health Club, infinity pool, Spa
Access: Harbin Taiping Airport (1 hour/40km by car) Downtown Harbin (Central Street): (30min/ 12km) Rates: A variety of room types are available (you can make your choice in the application form): Deluxe Rooms: from CNY 550 (EUR 70) including breakfast Club Room: from CNY 950 (EUR 121) including breakfast Suite: CNY 1800 (EUR 230) including breakfast
18
harbin - direct flight connections
Access While most cities in China have a direct flight to Harbin (HRB), travel from overseas requires a transfer in China (usually Beijing or Shanghai), Hong Kong, South Korea or Japan. The following are the main flight connections available:
Beijing Capital Airport (PEK) Air China (Star Alliance, many intl. connections): up to 8 daily flights; flight time 2 hours
Beijing Daxing Airport (PKX) Air China, China Southern, China Eastern: up to 11 daily flights; flight time 2 hours
Shanghai Pudong Airport (PVG) Air China, China Southern, China Eastern, Shanghai Airlines, Juneyao Airlines: up to 12 daily flights; flight time 3 hours
Seoul- Incheon (ICN) Asiana Airlines, China Southern: 2 flights per day, flight time 2:20 hours
Tokyo- Narita (NRT) China Southern: direct flight on 25 June, flight time 3 hours
Osaka-Kansai (KIX) China Southern: direct flight on 24 June, flight time 3:10 hours
Hong Kong (HKG) China Southern: direct flight on 22 June, flight time 4:50 hours
Local Airport Transfers Upon arrival, airport transfers from Harbin Taiping Airport to and from the Songbei Shangri-La Hotel will be provided.
19
Optional Tour
The new Daxing Itl. Airport in Beijing
Flight to Beijing In order to join the optional tour, please make sure to use the Harbin-Beijing flight indicated in the schedule: Sunday, 29 June/ Flight CA8384/ Harbin (HRB)- Beijing Daxing (PKX)
You can include this flight in your overall flight itinerary, or you can ask the Secretariat to book the flight for you (see the corresponding section in the GA registration form).
Hotel WFIMC is happy to offer very special rates at The Regent, Beijing:
CNY 1000 (EUR 128) per night/ single occupancy CNY 1100 (EUR 140) per night/ double occupancy CNY 1800 (EUR 230) per night/ suite (all rates including breakfast) Please mark your preference in the registration form.
Sightseeing and Meals Bus transfers, entrance tickets and meals will be provided courtesy of WFIMC.
20
Practicalities
Currency Conversion: 100 CNY (Chinese Yuan)= 13.00 EUR 500 CNY (Chinese Yuan) = 65.00 EUR
100 CNY (Chinese Yuan)= 13.70 USD 500 CNY (Chinese Yuan) = 68.60 USD
Money Unlike certain other countries, China uses hardly any cash. Credit Cards are widely in use, however there are also places such as coffee shops that will accept neither cash nor credit cards as more than 90% of the Chinese population use digital wallets and pay with their phones. We recommend to download either ALIPAY or WeChat pay from your AppStore and connect it to a foreign credit card. The service is free and works much like ApplePay or GooglePay. Electricity Voltage in China is 220V/50Hz. Sockets are type A, C and I, so many US and European plugs can be used. Appliances with 120V or 110V will need a converter, but most phone and computer chargers will work. Phone WiFi is widely available in Hotels and public areas. You can also purchase a Chinese SIM or e-SIM which will get you online in China for little money. Please be aware that, using a Chinese provider, you will not be able to access major services such as google, WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram etc. If you hold a mobile plan (mobile data) from your overseas phone company, you can access the above services as usual.
eSIM plans (example): https://maya.net
Communications in China WhatsApp, Line, Kakao etc. may be blocked by the Chinese phone network. Instead, most people use WeChat- an easy to use messaging and Social Media Application. To contact virtually anyone in China, connecting via WeChat is the easiest option for foreigners. Few Chinese still have business cards- people simply connect via WeChat. Visa China currently offers visa-free travel to nationals of 38 countries, including France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, Hungary, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, Latvia, Estonia, Bulgaria, Romania, New Zealand, Australia, Poland, Portugal, Finland, Andorra, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, among others.
Citizens of Canada, Lithuania, Ukraine, USA and the United Kingdom will need a visa for China. Our host city (Harbin) will provide respective visa invitations.
21
Practicalities
Free transit visa Most countries including Canada, Lithuania, Ukraine, USA, UK may enter China under the Visa-free transit program, however they can only use Harbin OR Beijing, not both, as the two cities are in two different zones with different regulations. If you would like to visit Harbin with the visa-free transit program, you can do so only under the following conditions:
- You have to fly directly (not via Beijing or Shanghai) into Harbin Airport from outside China - You can stay a maximum of 72 hours - You have to fly directly out of Harbin to a foreign country (not via another city in China) - You cannot fly back to the same country you came from
This means, free transit visa would only work for an itinerary like Seoul-Harbin-Tokyo.
REGISTER
22
23
WORLD FEDERATION OF INTERNATIONAL MUSIC COMPETITIONS
24
Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online