The 2022 Kinmen Tunnel Music Festival took place on October 15 and 16 in Zhaishan Tunnel. A large number of music lovers crossed the sea specially to enjoy the battlefield-inspired concerts. There were a total of 7 performances over the two days, with an audience of 200 per show. The influx of around 1,400 spectators is a great boost to Kinmen’s leisure tourism, and the festival has become the island’s signature music event.
This year the Tunnel Music Festival featured artistic director and cellist Chang Chen-chieh, Peking opera master Chu Lu-hao, mezzo-soprano Weng Jo-pei, pipa (Chinese lute) player Chen Yu-jung, violin virtuosos Su Shien-ta and Hsu Shu-ting, and principal viola of the National Symphony Orchestra Huang Rui-yi. This ensemble of heavyweight musicians performing together provided incredible spectacle for the enjoyment and reflection of the audience.
In the natural auditorium of Zhaishan Tunnel, the first day’s performance kicked off with a dramatic collision of vocal and instrumental music. Peking opera master Chu Lu-hao sang “The Song of Gaixia” from the opera “Farewell My Concubine” and the Kunqu opera “Pick the Pulley”, perfectly expressing the mood of the Hegemon-King. The entirely rearranged string music transcended previous performances, using a fusion of Chinese and Western sounds to entirely reinterpret Peking opera and delight the audience. Mezzo-soprano Jo-Pei Weng’s natural bel canto was brimming with theatricality, and her performance of “Carmen” and other classics filled the Tunnel with a beautifully layered sound. On the second day, to complement Chu Lu-hao’s rendition of “The Song of Gaixia”, Chen Yu-jung played “Ambush From Ten Sides” on the pipa. The audience enjoyed the unique auditory feast of well-known historical battle scenes such as the Chu-Han Contention interpreted through music.
The world has faced enormous challenges over the past few years due to the pandemic and the resulting global crisis. The creation of such melodies provided a soothing antidote, and the recreation of historical scenes through emotional musical performances provides hope for a better future.