Birmingham’s musical welcome for Chinese Year of the Rat

Music lovers have the chance to attend a special concert at the University of Birmingham marking the Chinese New Year with a magical fusion of East and West - and a special appearance by the winner of the 'Chinese X Factor'. World-class pianist Di Xiao will be joined by vocalist Mary Jess, who won the I Want to Sing to the Stars TV singing contest watched by over 70 million people across China. The concert will also feature multi-instrumentalist Ruth Angell and guitarist/composer Sid Peacock. The musical trio will help the University's China Institute to celebrate the arrival of the Year of the Rat with a mix of traditional Chinese and Western pieces. The concert takes place on Friday, 24 January 2020 at 6.30pm, in the Elgar Concert Hall at the University of Birmingham. Tickets are free-of-charge and can be booked at https://birmingham.ac.uk/chinese-new-year-2020 . The event highlighted the University's engagement with China, which ranges from research collaborations with the country's best universities to working alongside the municipal government in Guangzhou.