Musicians and dancers pose for a group photo at the opening ceremony of the festival. [Photo by Chen Zhuoyu/zjol.com.cn]

The 4th China-Central and Eastern European Countries Music and Dance Festival opened on Nov 10 at the Zhejiang Conservatory of Music.

Over 30 representatives from the arts and education sectors across more than 10 countries — including Italy, Croatia, Hungary and Russia — recently gathered in Hangzhou to celebrate cultural exchange through music and dance.

This year's edition continues the model of combining academic dialogue with artistic showcases, focusing on frontier topics in arts education and cross-cultural collaboration.

A highlight of the academic program is a panel on music education and its mission in the age of intelligence, where leading educators from North Macedonia and Poland discussed digital transformation in music teaching and the future of cultural transmission.

Throughout the season, renowned artists and educators from Serbia, Hungary, and Poland offered masterclasses and workshops in flute, clarinet, and violin, fostering high-level international exchange.

Since the establishment of the China-CEEC Music Institutions Alliance in 2017, the platform — hosted by the Zhejiang Conservatory as its secretariat — has played a key role in advancing academic cooperation and talent development. The music and dance festival has already facilitated extensive exchanges among more than 10 CEEC institutions.

Performers play traditional Chinese instruments at the opening ceremony. [Photo by Chen Zhuoyu/zjol.com.cn]