When winter slows the city's pace and people begin to look back on the year, music can become a quiet ritual of renewal. This season, that ritual arrives in the form of an intimate encounter with the European Chamber Music ensemble (ECM). Their 2026 Winter Tour — simply titled "Winter" — brings the group's signature cinematic programs to cities across China, turning cold nights warm with lingering, harp‑like tones and film‑rich emotion.
Breaking the boundaries of the screen, ECM unlocks long‑dormant feelings through live performance. The ensemble comprises six excellent young musicians from Europe, including Iñigo Muñoz Malo (piano), Alejandro José Villanueva Cañovas (clarinet), Julia Ferriol Miralles (first violin), Cristina Sánchez de la Fuente (second violin), María Biarge Carnicer (cello), and Irene Busons Miguel (viola).
Since their Chinese debut in 2024, the ECM has won wide acclaim on tour. For the 2026 "Winter" run, their flagship program, "Twilight City," has been fully reimagined — upgraded from repertoire and pacing to musical narrative and emotional arc — offering a more mature, richer and more heartfelt experience.
The most striking change is the program's "film‑narrative" sequencing and a new live‑friendly suite structure that guides listeners through a condensed cinematic journey. The revised "Twilight City” suite moves through a carefully calibrated progression: the swaggering pulse of "Pirates of the Caribbean"; the tender intimacy of "Call Me by Your Name"; the bittersweet longing of "In the Mood for Love"; the haunting ache of "The Phantom of the Opera" — all building toward an emotional apex in the "Twilight" suite itself.
Other highlights include Debussy's "Clair de lune," "Turning Page," "Supermassive Black Hole," "Bella's Lullaby" and "A Thousand Years."
Time: 8 p.m., Jan. 15
Venue: Orange Theater, Nanshan Culture and Sports Center, Nanshan District (南山文体中心聚橙剧院)
Metro: Line 12 to Nantou Ancient City Station (南头古城站), Exit E2(Tang Li)
