THE city’s second Lianhua Hill Grass Music Festival that ran from Nov. 6-8 has been a hot topic in the city.

    “Outdoor concerts have always been a challenge for symphony orchestras because they have high requirements for audio equipment and techniques. But this concert had amazing sound effects, letting us have a chance to enjoy such a high-standard concert in such an open environment,” said a British expat known as Daven.

    Daven has lived in Futian District for three years. He went to the concert with many of his friends. “We all enjoyed the concert, and we are proud of the progress Shenzhen has made,” he said.

    The concert, featuring classical music presented by five orchestras, was held at Lianhua Hill on Nov. 6-8.

    The five orchestras were the Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra, the Vienna Festival Orchestra, the Venice Chamber Orchestra, the China Hong Kong Youth Symphony Orchestra and the Shenzhen Youth Orchestra.

    The activity was organized by the Futian District Government and local theater management, performance and ticketing company A.C. Orange.

    The three-day event attracted more than 100,000 visitors, including 15,000 who claimed tickets through various e-channels.

    “It is a great experience, and we hope that we can attend next year’s event,” said Ding Fan, conductor of the Venice Chamber Orchestra.

    “Sitting on the grass to enjoy classical music is a very creative idea,” said a resident surnamed Zhao. “Shenzhen has a large number of classical music fans, and we normally go to the Shenzhen Concert Hall to enjoy the music. It is an interesting experience to do it on the grass.”

    Zhao also thinks that it was a great way to make friends.

    The event was also highly spoken of by many non-classical music fans. “It gives us a chance to learn about classical music. We normally think that classical music is too ‘elegant’ for ordinary people like us, but we are wrong. I hope that my children will like it too,” said a visitor who didn’t give his name.

    “The event’s goal was to teach more people about classical music. If it was held at the Concert Hall, only a few people would have a chance to enjoy it. We hope that next year’s event will be bigger and better, bringing classical music a lot closer to the audience,” said Nie Bing, vice head of the Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra. (Stephy Wong)