The notes, like spring water or moonlight, were sometimes bold and bright and sometimes mild and delicate. Fingers danced briskly on the black and white keys and slid from bass to treble, leaving behind rosy scenery all the way. The melody then descended slowly from the treble like pearls scattered on the ground, small but shiny.

On November 21, 2017, KWA Grade 3-7 students staged a wonderful “Kaiwen Night” piano concert at the school’s auditorium.

Students played 16 classical pieces, from piano solos to piano duets, by Mozart, Kuhlau, Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Chopin, Brahms, Rimsky Korsakov, and Tan Dun to pay tribute to these masters. They played the pieces probably with immature technique but great sincerity.

That night, sitting in the audience were Kaiwen students, Chinese and foreign teachers, and many students’ parents from outside of the campus. Their warm applause at the end of each piece represented their appreciation of the charming piano music and recognition of Kaiwen students’ performances. “It’s just fantastic that a fourth-grade kid can play Flight of the Bumble Bee so smoothly!” Ashley’s performance left a deep impression on many parents.

It took less than 20 days to initiate the concert, sign up, screen, rehearse, and perform on stage. “For a few students, it was their stage debut, but they performed very well in terms of their rendering of the pieces and overall performance results,” said the instructor Li Qian. “From a professional point of view, piano performance level is not only reflected in fingering proficiency, but more importantly, in the overall musicality and stage feeling. High artistic accomplishments are not about whether you can play highly difficult pieces but about whether your rendering of a piece can really touch people’s hearts.”

Amy is a rather introverted girl in the seventh grade. With the teacher’s encouragement, she performed in the concert, which was her first. After the concert was over, her parents came backstage to thank Li Qian.

They said it was a good exercise to improve Amy’s ability. It also allowed them to see Amy’s versatility. What is more important and touching was that it improved the self-confidence of both the parents and the child. In addition, it is also a good form for family-school communication.

Art education is one of Kevin’s three major features. The “Kaiwen Night” piano concert is Kaiwen Academy (Haidian)’s traditional performance program, which is held once a semester. The purpose is to provide students with a stage to demonstrate their piano talent and improve their artistic accomplishment. In addition to the piano concert, Kaiwen Academy (Haidian) also has its orchestra and choir and holds comprehensive concerts each semester. Parents and friends inside and outside of the campus are welcome to come to Kaiwen to watch the shows.