As Ernest Hemingway put it, "If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast." Having spent five years in Paris from 1997 to 2001 studying vocal music at L'Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris, Qiu Shuwei not only developed mature and skillful singing techniques, but also absorbed the rich feast of French culture.

Qiu spoke to the Global Times recently from Paris. "The most impressive thing about Paris is no matter where I am, I feel close to history, literature, music and religion. I can experience exotic and diverse culture from all around the world. The cultural and historic atmosphere teaches me to respect and appreciate beauty," she said.

A poster for a recital concert Under the Sky of Paris Photo: Courtesy of Qiu Shuwei

Now a professor at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, Qiu was made an "honorary citizen" of Saint-Martin-au-Laërt in northern France because of her contribution to promoting cultural exchange between China and France and her elegant performance of French art songs or mélodies.

Combining music with poetry, art songs exist in many cultures and languages. In France, mélodies developed in the mid-19th century. Qiu has a special taste and love for the art songs of renowned French composers like Maurice Ravel, Claude Debussy, Gabriel Fauré and Francis Poulenc. "The beauty of an art song lies in its lyrics and the music that perfectly matches the sense of the lyrics. Singing art songs allows me to add my own cultural background and understanding into its original context. Singing it again and again is like a sculptor carefully carving and polishing his work," Qiu said.

In the 1920s and 1930s, art songs thrived in China. Famous composers like Xiao Youmei and Zhao Yuanren composed songs based on classical Chinese poems. During a music concert in France last year, Qiu sang several Chinese art songs including Yuefu Ballads, Chinese poems composed in a folk song style, and folk songs from the southwestern province of Yunnan. "I love good poems. The ancient Chinese always enjoyed a tradition of reciting poems. They sang poems accompanied by classical instruments. The essence of poetry is brevity while that of music is purity. The combination of the two is an art song," Qiu said.

On January 17, Qiu will perform a recital concert titled Sous le ciel de Paris (Under the Sky of Paris) at Shanghai Concert Hall. Not only will she sing art song masterpieces like "Le spectre de la rose" and "La flûte enchantée," but she will also perform four French chansons (folk or popular songs) including "La vie en rose."

"I'm lucky to have come to Paris before the concert. Walking along a bridge under the Parisian sky, I feel like I'm getting closer to what chansons want to convey. I hope I can interpret them with a deeper understanding," Qiu told us.

Date: January 17, 7:30 pm to 9 pm

Venue: Shanghai Concert Hall

上海音乐厅

Address: 523 Yan'an Road East

延安东路523号

Tickets: 50 to 480 yuan

Call 5386-6666 for details