On the evening of 19 October, as a highlight event of Shanghai University of Finance and Economics’ 'Journey & Insight · Aesthetic Education Appreciation Workshop' and a key performance segment of the 'Arts Education' section of the 25th China Shanghai International Arts Festival, a special concert by the Brazilian Paraná Symphony Orchestra was held to great acclaim at the SUFE Art Centre. That evening, the Art Centre was filled to capacity, with nearly a thousand faculty members and students gathering to immerse themselves in the unique charm of South American symphonic music through the grandeur of orchestral sound, experiencing the artistic allure that transcends mountains and seas. The event was hosted by Mr Zhang Tian from the Centre for Artistic Practice Education.
Established in 1985, the Brazilian Paraná Symphony Orchestra is a flagship of Brazil’s cultural exchange with the world and one of the most representative professional symphony orchestras in South America. For over forty years, the orchestra has balanced the heritage of European classical music with the creation of Brazilian indigenous musical works, and has long been committed to the popularisation of symphonic music and aesthetic education. For this performance, over 80 full-ensemble musicians of the orchestra gathered at Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, integrating rigorous classical techniques with the unique passion and vitality of South America to delicately present the connotations of the works. The strings were rich and mellow, the woodwinds agile and graceful, the brass powerful and resonant, and the percussion precisely captured the rhythmic characteristics of South America, with clear layering among sections and seamless coordination, fully demonstrating the profound artistic strength of this national treasure-level orchestra from South America.
As the baton rose, the sounds of the orchestra began to flow gently, officially heralding the start of the concert. This performance featured three representative symphonic works by Brazilian composers, connecting the artistic trajectory of Brazilian symphonic music from Romanticism to Nationalism. Camargo Guarnieri’s 'Concerto Overture' opened the programme with vigour, as vibrant and dynamic orchestral tones alternated and collided, instantly igniting the atmosphere with the lively rhythms of South America. Heitor Villa-Lobos’ 'Bachianas Brasileiras No. 4' skillfully blended Bach’s rigorous polyphonic techniques with the melodies of the Brazilian countryside, beneath an elegant classical framework flowed the simple yet fervent poetry of the South American land. The closing piece, Alberto Nepomuceno’s 'Symphony in G Minor', a masterpiece of Brazilian Romantic symphonic music, was grand and powerful, with emotions surging and fluctuating, bringing the entire concert to a thrilling climax.
At the end of the performance, Li Shiyin, a student representative and leader of the Student Choir, presented a model souvenir of the SUFE Art Centre to Mr Roberto Ramos, conductor of the orchestra. The President of the Paraná Symphony Orchestra reciprocated with a 40th anniversary commemorative album of the orchestra, conveying the sincere friendship of Sino-Brazilian artistic exchange. The entire audience responded with warm applause.
The artists of the orchestra spoke highly of the meticulous reception and support provided by our university, as well as the professional technical and on-site services of the Art Centre. The President of the orchestra noted that, as ambassadors of the arts, it was a great honour to hold a special concert for faculty and students in such a grand and professional theatre as that of Shanghai University of Finance and Economics. He stated that both the facilities of the theatre and the audience demonstrated an extremely high level of professionalism, and the students’ and faculty’s dedication to the arts was truly memorable. The successful completion of this concert also marked a fitting conclusion to the orchestra’s tour in China.
This event is a high-level campus aesthetic education practice organised by the university on the platform of the China Shanghai International Arts Festival, and also a key activity of the 'Xingzhi · Aesthetic Appreciation Workshop' this semester. The concert, using music as a bridge, serves as an important component of people-to-people exchanges during the 2026 China-Brazil Year of Culture, bringing authentic South American symphonic art to the SUFE campus. It allows teachers and students to experience firsthand the vibrant energy of Latin American music, and builds a cross-cultural dialogue platform for youth from both China and Brazil. In the future, the university will continue to leverage the 'Xingzhi' series of aesthetic education activities to introduce more top-tier artistic resources from both home and abroad, enrich campus cultural life, broaden international cultural perspectives, and enhance students' aesthetic literacy and humanistic foundation.
