Competition, concerts, and masterclasses — how can you reach them all in one place?
Join the 2025 Shanghai International Forte Yearly Music Festival & Competition, and you’ll find the answer.
As the waves of the Pacific dance with notes of melody, a bridge connecting East and West is quietly being built. Founded by renowned “rising star of the classical world,” Dr. Yimiao Fang, the Forte Yearly Music Festival will once again bring its musical brilliance to both Shanghai and New York.
This trans-Pacific celebration of music officially opened on May 11, 2025, at Harvard University, and will arrive in Shanghai on July 12 for two weeks of musical dialogue, culminating in a grand finale concert at Carnegie Hall, New York on July 27.
The Festival’s Global Opening Ceremony Concert concluded with resounding success at Lehman Hall, Harvard University. The event has received publication by Xinhua News, Manhattan School of Music Official website and Harvard GSE GBE official public account. The exposures received over 1 million views in a few hours.
The 13th United States Ambassador to China, Nicholas Burns, remarked:
“The Forte Yearly Music Festival, establish a bridge between China and US relationship men that people should always communicate with culture exchanging.”
Jointly presented by the Forte International Group and leading institutions from both China and the United States, the festival not only provides world-class performance opportunities, but also offers long-term career development and signing opportunities for outstanding participants — ensuring that musical dreams are not fleeting moments, but sustained journeys of light.
Piano Professor José Ramos Santana of New York University and Professor Boaz Sharon of Boston University both attended and delivered keynote remarks, expressing their strong support for young artists and Sino-American cultural exchange.
During his speech, Professor Santana proudly announced that in celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Puerto Rico International Piano Festival, the event has officially become a sister festival to the 2025 Shanghai International Forte Yearly Music Festival & Competition, establishing a new cultural link between China, the United States, and Latin America.
The concert featured a special performance by rising Chinese artist Hina Zhang, who showcased the traditional instrument Erhu, interpreting Piazzolla’s Libertango with technical brilliance and emotional depth — blending national sound with global vocabulary in a display of cultural fusion.
The program gathered outstanding young performers from New York and Boston, including artists from the Manhattan School of Music, Berklee College of Music – Boston Conservatory, Boston University, and New England Conservatory.
The first half of the concert concluded with Dr. Yimiao Fang’s performance of Yiqiang Sun’s iconic work Threshing Dance, while the second half ended with Sibo Li’s powerful solo arrangement of Xinghai Xian’s Yellow River Piano Concerto, presenting a bold declaration of cultural confidence from the new generation of Chinese musicians.
The festival upholds the belief that “a competition is not an end — growth is.” It is designed to integrate musical interpretation × stage experience × long-term career planning into one complete system.
Participants not only join a world-class music competition, but also gain access to eight high-level concerts, over 100 masterclasses, and inpidual career coaching, with the chance to perform at top venues such as the Shanghai Oriental Art Center, Harvard University, and Carnegie Hall.
A special feature of this year’s festival is the “Dialogue Between East and West” segment — presenting both Western classical masterpieces and representative Chinese works, allowing participants to form a unique artistic voice in a globalized musical landscape.
Cultural exchange between China and the U.S. has always been at the heart of the festival.
As early as 1972, the governments of the United States and China signed the Shanghai Communiqué, laying the foundation for normalized diplomatic relations.
Later, in 1993, New York City and Shanghai became official sister cities.
The Forte Yearly Music Festival proudly continues this legacy, fostering deep mutual understanding and meaningful connection among young artists worldwide through the power of music.
Festival founder Dr. Yimiao Fang — three-time soloist at Carnegie Hall, youngest jury member of the Steinway National Youth Piano Competition, and recipient of the Steinway Top Teacher Award (U.S.) — leads the artistic direction of the event. She believes:
“Music is not a competition, but a journey from one heart to another.”
Her team promises signed mentorship agreements and long-term one-on-one career planning for all full participants — extending the brilliance of every stage into sustained growth.
Organized by the Forte International Group, with headquarters in Beijing, Nanjing, and New York, the festival is backed by a cross-border infrastructure that supports the full life cycle of musical artists — from education to stage, from inspiration to international debut.
The group maintains a 100% acceptance rate into the world’s top music schools for its applicants, and collaborates with premier institutions such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and the Shanghai Oriental Art Center to provide global platforms for performance, promotion, study abroad, and media exposure.
The faculty roster includes leading educators from the Manhattan School of Music, New York University, Central Conservatory of Music, and Broadway New York, offering a seamless transition from the classroom to the world stage.
For participants, this is more than just an opportunity to “go abroad” — it’s a pathway to being heard and recognized by the world. All full participants will be signed and provided with a personalized artistic roadmap, guiding them from today’s competition stage to tomorrow’s global spotlight.
Over 100 masterclasses will be taught by internationally acclaimed masters — imagine receiving in-depth technical and philosophical guidance directly from some of the world’s most respected musical figures.
Whether it’s refining your touch or unlocking deeper interpretive insights, these sessions will transform you into an artist with a truly global vision.
This is no ordinary festival — the Forte Yearly Music Festival carves a luminous road from practice room to Carnegie’s golden dome.
It is a threefold journey of competition, concert, and mentorship, each step sharpening your artistic edge.
On the stage of cultural dialogue, The Butterfly Lovers and Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata will meet at your fingertips, as every keystroke becomes a cross-cultural epic.
“Music knows no borders. The young fear nothing.”
Here, growth is no longer a solitary journey, but a luminous expedition passed from hand to hand, stage to stage.
For more information, visit our official WeChat public account: fymfestival
