The Fourth London International Chinese Music Festival: Sound of the East in the West Gala Concert

The Fourth London International Chinese Music Festival (LICMF) returns 24–28 August 2026, the only festival of its kind in Europe dedicated exclusively to Chinese musical traditions — offering systematic tuition, master classes, workshops, grading exams, competitions and a series of concerts. This year's theme is 'Sounds of the East in the West.'

Gala Concert – Sound of East in the West

Thursday 27 August 2026 · 7:00pm, Holy Sepulchre London, Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2DQ

Experience an inspiring evening where traditional Chinese instruments meet contemporary composition in one of London's most beautiful historic churches. The Gala Concert explores the dialogue between East and West through a programme of newly commissioned works and award-winning performances by internationally acclaimed musicians.

The programme features: Silk String Quartet (erhu, pipa, guzheng & zhongruan) performing the UK premiere of Tang Jianping's Raining in My Heart (心雨); Siji Quartet 四季四重奏 (dizi, pipa, piano & cello) performing Ray Lin's Spring Dance (春舞); and Prof. Michael Ellison, director of the contemporary East Asian ensemble Shuimo 水墨, presenting a brand-new contemporary work, plus additional performances by distinguished artists from China and the UK.

Bringing together tradition, innovation and cross-cultural collaboration, this Gala Concert offers a unique celebration of contemporary Chinese music in the West.

Also part of the festival: Sound of Nature concert (Wed 26 Aug, 7pm, SOAS Djam Lecture Theatre) and the Showcase Concert (Fri 28 Aug, 7pm, SOAS Djam Lecture Theatre), featuring prizewinners from the festival's grading exams and competition.

Presented by China Arts (UK), in partnership with SOAS, University of London, the China Nationalities Orchestra Society (CNOS, China) and the London Youlan Qin Society.

Find out more info or book your tickets on https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/sound-of-the-east-in-the-west-gala-concert-tickets-1994103655714

📩 Get ESEA events in your inbox — subscribe to our free biweekly newsletter at novaesea.com/subscribe