On the evening of September 22, INFO Guangdong invited nine expats from countries including the United States, Italy, and Serbia to enjoy a Beethoven concert at the Guangzhou Opera House. The performance, featuring violinist Antje Weithaas and pianist Dénes Várjon, was part of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Cultural and Arts Festival 2025.
Tickets and posters for the "Pure Beethoven" concert. (Photo: Chen Siyuan)
The concert visit was organized under INFO Guangdong's expat club series, an initiative of the province's all-in-one English information service platform. Participants were recruited through an online ticket giveaway, in collaboration with Liwan's Shamian International Neighborhood and Baiyun's Design Capital of Guangzhou (DCGZ) International Neighborhood.
"Pure Beethoven" audiences at the Guangzhou Opera House. (Photo: Chen Siyuan)
The seamless collaboration of the two musicians left a deep impression on Serbian expat Nikolic Dostana. "With a combination of piano and violin, the artists created a dialogue and partnership. They complemented each other beautifully," she said.
Dostana has lived in Baiyun District for two years and speaks fluent Chinese. Still, she admitted it is not always easy to find reliable information on cultural events through Chinese social media. "With INFO Guangdong, expats in Guangzhou will be better informed about events in the city," she stated.
Beethoven's music, long recognized as part of the world's classics, continues to attract global audiences. For Italian student Irene Mugnos and German student Lea Ying-Ying Woo, both longtime fans of classical music, the concert was a must. The two, who have been in Guangzhou for just a month as exchange students, said they look forward to more activities organized by INFO Guangdong. "Any kind of event where newcomers like us can participate and discover something new is always exciting," Woo said.
Reporter | Chen Siyuan, Liang Fuhua (Intern)
Photo | Chen Siyuan
Editor | Hu Nan, James Campion, Shen He
