2025 MISA pays tribute to sustainable future

Shanghai Symphony Orchestra announced the lineup of this year's Music In the Summer Air festival, which will consist of 29 concerts taking place from July 1 to 13.

Founded in 2010, MISA is an annual cross-genre music festival centering on classical music. This year, MISA will feature the theme To the Future, calling on sustainable development and environmental protection.

The opening concert on July 1 will feature the New York Philharmonic playing Debussy's La Mer under the baton of Finnish musician Esa-Pekka Salonen.

Philharmonisches Staatsorchester Hamburg from Germany, led by artistic director Kent Nagano, will make its China debut at MISA, playing the works of Mozart and Beethoven on July 7.

Also making its China debut will be Il Gardellino, a Baroque ensemble led by oboe player Marcel Ponseele. They will present Absolute Bach in commemoration of Bach's 340th birthday on July 8.

The festival will expand to the West Bund area for the first time this year. Ensemble Accademia Ducale from Italy will present the world premiere of a series of Beethoven's waltz pieces at GATE M Dream Center - M Dock on July 12.

Yu Long, artistic director of Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, will conduct the company on July 13 for the closing show of the festival, an open-air concert commemorating the 80th Anniversary of the Victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45) and the World Anti-Fascist War.