Gulangyu, located on the coast of southeast China's Fujian Province, is hailed as "China's piano island". Over the past twelve days, it played host to an international piano festival. A solo concert staged by master pianist Dang Thai Son wrapped up the biennial event.

After a four-city concert tour that saw stops in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Hong Kong, the festival returned to Gulangyu for its final day. The closing concert started with pieces by romantic French composer Claude Debussy. Dang Thai Son gave the performance on a Steinway & Sons piano made in 1888.

The following ballad, by Chopin, proved again why Dang was the first-prize winner at the 10th International Chopin Piano Competition in 1980.

The climax came at the second part of the concert. Under the baton of renowned Chinese conductor Zhu Hui, and accompanied by the Xiamen Philharmonic Orchestra, Dang treated the audience to Edvard Grieg's "Piano Concerto in A Minor" and ended the concert with a high note.

Just two years old, the Gulangyu Piano Festival's bold attempt this year to tour outside the host city proved successful. With first-class musicians from around the world, the festival fed classical music fans a feast of impressive melodies.

(CCTV.com August 16, 2004)