Shanghai · 上海 – Marios Joannou Elia

From Kunqu’s echoes to futuristic skylines – tradition, modernity and global connectivity.

The music & performance

Does every city have its own sound? This foundational question lies at the heart of Marios Joannou Elia’s «Sound of» series. First presented in Berlin – where it was hailed as «a true form of audiovisual art that had never existed before» – the series has since evolved from «Sound of Vladivostok» to «Sound of Kyoto», and now reaches a new stage with «Sound of Shanghai». This initiative does not simply document urban life but redefines the epistemology of the urban soundscape, blending music, acoustic ecology, performative practice, and visual dramaturgy into a cohesive cinematic film concert.

Shanghai, a city of unparalleled dynamism, emerges as both object of study and artistic muse for this ambitious endeavor. As the world’s third-largest metropolis, it offers a unique convergence of tradition and modernity, where historical strata coexist with futuristic urban architectures. Revered as China’s gateway to the world, Shanghai epitomizes global connectivity and cultural innovation, making it an extraordinary locus for this polyphonic exploration.

«Sound of Shanghai» derives its evocative subtitle, «Opera of a Cosmopolis», from the dialectical interplay of past and present. Drawing inspiration from an ancient Kunqu melody in «The Peony Pavilion», rooted in the Jiangnan region, the project recontextualizes this heritage within a contemporary symphonic dialogue. Here, the city itself is transfigured into both instrument and stage, with its diverse spaces and soundscapes intricately woven into an immersive audiovisual narrative.

This project does more than celebrate Shanghai’s cultural identity – it magnifies it, transforming the metropolis into a living opera where historical memory intertwines with the rhythms of contemporary life. «Sound of Shanghai» thus captures the multifaceted essence of a city that continues to inspire and ignite creativity across the globe.

每座城市都有它独特的声音吗？这个问题是马里奥斯·乔安努·埃利亚（Marios Joannou Elia）《城市之声》系列项目的核心。从《海参崴之声》到《京都之声》，这一系列作品不断突破自我，如今通过《上海之声》达到了新的高度。在柏林首演时，《城市之声》被誉为“前所未有的视听艺术形式”。它重新定义了都市环境的体验，将音乐、声音景观、表演艺术和视觉效果融为一体，呈现出一场独特的电影音乐会。

上海，这座充满活力与创意的城市，为这一宏大项目提供了源源不断的灵感。作为全球第三大都市，上海完美地融合了传统与现代，让历史文化的底蕴与未来的天际线相互交织。此外，上海被誉为中国通向世界的门户，不仅象征着全球联通与文化创新，还为这场多元化的艺术探索提供了绝佳的舞台。

《上海之声》的副标题“大都会的歌舞剧”，正是在这种传统与现代、过去与现在的交织中孕育而生。项目从昆曲《牡丹亭》中的经典旋律汲取灵感，将这一源自江南地区的传统艺术形式与现代交响乐对话，赋予其新的生命力。在这里，城市本身被转化为乐器与舞台，多样的空间与声景被精密编织成沉浸式的视听叙事。

此项目不仅礼赞上海独特的文化身份，更是对这座城市精神的深刻挖掘。通过将上海悠久的历史与现代都市的节奏结合，《上海之声》呈现了这座城市的多维精髓，不断激发全球的创造力与想象力。

The pillars of the project are four interwoven elements — new music inspired by the city, sounds drawn from its cultural and urban identity, performances staged in emblematic spaces, and cinematography that captures Shanghai’s pulse and kinetic energy.

An instrumentarium where traditional voices meet European timbres, reflecting Shanghai’s unique role as a cultural crossroads.

– Large Chinese Orchestra.
– Ensemble of 18 Guzheng and a Sheng, incorporating a Monophonic Choir.
– Kunqu operatic soprano and Ruan Ensemble.
– Jazz Trio.
– Kindergarten Chorus.
– Chorus of Qipao Ladies.

Bund warning megaphones join culinary rituals, theatrical traditions, martial gestures, and futuristic technologies to shape Shanghai’s acoustic identity.

– Threads of Gu embroidery.
– Steaming teapot rhythms.
– Shadow theatre echoes.
– Huangpu ships and Zhujiajiao boat.
– Tai Chi fan and moon blade.
– Neural activity transformed into sound.

A tapestry of site-specific performances across Shanghai’s emblematic locations transformed the city into a living stage.

– Rooftop of the Swatch Art Peace Hotel.
– Bund and Nanjing Road.
– Zhujiajiao water town.
– Sijing ancient town.
– Shenyuan Garden.

A visual choreography where drones, timelapses, and computational techniques capture Shanghai’s urban pulse and kinetic energy.

– FPV drones weaving through skyscrapers.
– Hyperlapses and Day-to-night timelapses.
– Dynamic tracking shots.
– Match-on-motion edits and layered transitions.
– Adaptive motion blur and dynamic speed control.

How was «Sound of Shanghai» built sonically?

This presentation moves from composer/context and a three-work analysis, to venue acoustics & planned renovations, then into Wave Field Synthesis, microphone topologies, and track-specific recording strategies — all aimed at precise spatial capture.

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