Our project seeks to bring together classical singers from the Netherlands and musicians from China, in a unique collaboration centered on artistic exchange, mutual learning, and intercultural understanding. At its heart, this initiative is not only about performances, but about creating meaningful encounters between people, traditions, and generations through the universal language of music.
In a world where cultural polarization and social fragmentation are increasingly visible, we believe music still has the power to create spaces of trust, curiosity, and connection. By allowing Dutch classical vocalists to work closely with Chinese musicians, composers, conservatories, and local cultural organizations, we hope to foster a dialogue that goes beyond language and politics. The project is designed as a living exchange in which participants learn from each other’s musical heritage, artistic discipline, philosophy, and cultural identity.
The project has two meaningful points of connection in China. The first is Xi’an, the birthplace of Charlotte, whose story and friendship with Louise, became the inspiration for this initiative. Historically, Xi’an has long been a crossroads of cultures, ideas, and influences, making it a powerful symbolic foundation for an international cultural exchange project.
The second possible location is Wuxi, a city that was recently recognized by UNESCO as a City of Music. With its strong commitment to cultural development and artistic collaboration, Wuxi offers an inspiring environment for building musical connections between China and the Netherlands.
The broader ambition of the project is to develop a sustainable international platform for recurring concerts, educational programs, workshops, artist residencies, and future co-productions between both countries. Beyond the artistic aspect, we also see opportunities for educational exchange, tourism, youth engagement, and long-term institutional partnerships between cultural organizations in the Netherlands and China.
We are currently looking for guidance, strategic support, and possible funding opportunities to help shape the next phase of this initiative. More specifically, we seek advice on international cultural funding programs, diplomatic and institutional partnerships, mobility support for artists, and the practical development of a sustainable cross-cultural framework that can grow over the coming years.
We believe this initiative aligns closely with themes such as international cultural cooperation, intercultural dialogue, artistic innovation, and strengthening people-to-people connections between Europe and China. Our hope is not only to organize concerts, but to create a lasting example of how culture and human creativity can bring worlds closer together.