Top of the pops

As more Chinese youngsters are using wireless technology to download music on their mobile phones, China Mobile Miguhui, a wireless music provider, recently released the annual awards for Chinese pop singers. Based on the total number of downloads, Taiwan pop stars Wilber Pan and Jolin Cai received the bestseller awards. Sun Nan and Han Hong won the title of "Best Singer" among Chinese mainland singers.

Miguhui adopted the theme "Country, Love" this year. Songs to mark the 60th anniversary of the country also attracted a large number of young music fans. Country and Home, sung by Jackie Chan and Liu Yuanyuan, was the most popular song among mobile users.

Riverdance to herald spring

Riverdance will celebrate the lunar new year with a Chinese audience for the second time in Beijing. After their impressive debut on CCTV Spring Gala last year, the traditional Irish step dance troupe had become a household name in China.

While their first show featured only 10 dancers, at the Beijing TV Spring Gala in coming February, there will be 40 of them. Senior executive producer Julian Erskine revealed that although the troupe will pack a two-hour performance into seven minutes, audiences will be able to appreciate the various plots in the whole story. Besides the performance on Chinese TV, the troupe will stage the entire show in major cities like Shenzhen, Chengdu, Hangzhou and Wuhan. In Beijing they will give 10 performances at Beizhan Theater from Feb 5 to 11.

German award for young pianists

Twenty-seven young competitors won prizes at the 72nd International Steinway Children and Youths Piano and the 4th China Regional Competition, held in Beijing recently.

Zeng Xianyi, who won in the professional category, was invited to Steinway & Sons International Arts Festival held in Germany this year. Han Wenfang, winner among the minors, was awarded a piano.

The piano competition attracted more than 1,000 children from 18 cities. Thirty-seven professionals and 29 minors were lucky to attend the finals, held in China Conservatory of Music in Beijing.

Around 36 million young people are learning to play the piano in China at present. The Steinway Piano Competition came to this country in 2002, hoping to find young talents. It has proved to be a launching pad for Chinese kids, catapulting them to the international music stage.

China Daily

(China Daily 01/05/2010 page20)