THE 2018 Futian CBD lunchtime concert series was kicked off recently with well-known Chinese and foreign melodies in its repertoire, such as “Hungarian Dances,” “Baikal Lake,” and “Chrysanthemum Terrace,” filling the Rongchao International Chamber of Commerce Tower and other Futian CBD buildings with pleasure and an artistic feel. The lunchtime concert project is organized by the Futian Public Culture and Sports Development Center and undertaken by the Piano-Themed Hall of Futian Culture Hall and the Rongchao International Chamber of Commerce Tower. Six office buildings, including the Golden Central Tower, Wongtee Center, East Pacific Colorful Plaza, NEO Building, Excellence Century Center and Rongchao International Chamber of Commerce Tower, have signed-up for the lunchtime concerts. White-collar workers at each building will have the opportunity to enjoy lunchtime music. Lunchtime concerts, initiated by the Futian Culture and Sports Bureau in 2015, are weekly public-benefit cultural events customized for office workers. Every Wednesday during lunch hours, a concert is held at a commercial building of Futian CBD. To date, 83 concerts have been held at 18 buildings, serving a total of 16,000 listeners. Over the past three years, lunchtime concerts have rapidly developed a reputation for being high-end; the expert musicians, well-chosen pieces of music, relaxing atmosphere, flexible form and regularity has influenced many commercial buildings to send invitations to the organizers. “Nowadays, due to the fast pace of work, white-collar workers are undergoing tremendous pressure. As their living standards improve, they begin to look for a better spiritual life. Providing musical knowledge and high-end performance to the white-collars is meaningful,” said a person responsible for a commercial building when asked about why they chose to partner with the lunchtime concert project. As the proprietor, the building has been trying to build its premise into a brand. In doing so, cooperation with the Futian Culture and Sports Bureau in as many ways as possible enables them to provide high-quality services to the companies in their building. “I feel super good to be able to listen to a live concert at our office building,” said Miss Wang who works nearby. Wang said she enjoys art and culture and loves going to concerts. But due to the fact that she lives far away from the concert halls, she is not able to go to concerts frequently. Now she feels like she lives in a concert hall and enthusiastically posts her shots of the lunchtime concerts to her WeChat Moments. In 2016, Excellence Group signed with the Futian Culture and Sports Bureau and became the first long-term partner of the lunchtime concerts. In 2017, one more partner joined in. And this year the number has increased to six. “The lunchtime concerts cannot succeed without a well-trained performance team, the strong support of the government and the cooperation of the partners,” said Fu Xiao, a curator of the program. (Chen Xiaochun) | 