French violoncellist Anne Gastinel performs with the Harbin Symphony Orchestra at the opening concert of the 2025 Schoenfeld International String Competition in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, on July 13, 2025. (Harbin Concert Hall/Handout via Xinhua)

HARBIN, July 14 (Xinhua) -- The 2025 Schoenfeld International String Competition opened in Harbin, capital city of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province on Sunday, drawing over 100 top international contestants from 22 countries.

Xue Suli, president of the competition and the Schoenfeld International Music Society, said that the event helps promote global music culture and discover talented artists.

Harbin boasts a century-old musical heritage, noted Wang Bo, vice mayor of the city, who added that the competition, which has been permanently held in Harbin since 2020, is a signature event of the long-running national Harbin Summer Music Concert, boosting string music and cultural exchanges.

Founded in 2013 to honor musicians Alice and Eleonore Schoenfeld, the competition was introduced to Harbin in 2014 and has since held four editions. Admitted to the World Federation of International Music Competitions (WFIMC) in 2017, it became the first Chinese member of the WFIMC Board of Directors in 2021. ■

Conductor Tang Muhai conducts at the opening concert of the 2025 Schoenfeld International String Competition in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, on July 13, 2025. (Harbin Concert Hall/Handout via Xinhua)

Violinist Xue Suli, who is president of the 2025 Schoenfeld International String Competition and the Schoenfeld International Music Society, performs with Harbin Symphony Orchestra at the opening concert of the competition in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, on July 13, 2025. (Harbin Concert Hall/Handout via Xinhua)