"The musical connection is palpable and intimate, and we're really glad that live concert is back after last year's absence because of the pandemic,"," said Zhang Yong, organizer of the concert, which opened this year's China Youth Music Competition-Hummingbird Music Award.

The competition and award, established in 2015, is based on the German Music Council's Jugend Musiziert, the most well-known music competition for young performers in Germany, first held in 1963. Winners of the two competitions visit each other's countries and are offered a week of training and the opportunity to perform.