Latvian chamber choir wraps up music exchange tour

Fortius, a chamber choir founded in 1985 in Latvia and a frequent guest at music festivals across Europe, recently wrapped up a weeklong tour to Shenzhen and Hong Kong, making stops at four universities. The guests visited local landmarks and campuses and performed alongside their Chinese peers, harvesting treasured memories and friendships while gaining a deeper understanding of the real China.

Fortius members pose for a photo at Shenzhen Polytechnic University (SZPU). The chamber choir from Latvia visited Shenzhen and Hong Kong recently.

The choir members pose for a group photo after performing the "Voices of Spring" concert on the campus of SUAT.

During their first stop, from April 23 to 26, the choir visited Shenzhen University of Advanced Technology (SUAT), as well as the nearby Shenzhen Science and Technology Museum and the picturesque Guangming Environmental Park, which houses Shenzhen’s largest domestic waste processing facility. 

During their stay, the choir performed a concert on campus alongside the Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra Children’s Choir and the Futian-based Sometime Chorus. Dressed in traditional costumes, Fortius members passionately performed distinctive Latvian pieces such as “Sun, Thunder, Daugava” and “To My Motherland.” All the performers joined in a moving chorus of the Chinese folk song “Jasmine Flower” at the concert’s climax. The visitors also shared choral skills with music fans among students and faculty at SUAT.

The choir makes its second stop at SZPU.

The choir members pose for a photo at the Muse College of CUHK-SZ.

For their second stop, at Shenzhen Polytechnic University (SZPU), the guests toured the campus to learn about vocational education in China. On the evening of April 28, Fortius performed a concert alongside the school’s art troupe, immersing the audience in a classic Latvian repertoire and Chinese folk songs.

The next morning, at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen (CUHK-Shenzhen), the choir members had lunch with students and faculty of Muse College, during which they shared cultural insights and funny stories from the tour. After lunch, the two sides held a small music exchange and choral performance.

Then, in the afternoon, the choir crossed the border to visit CUHK’s Sha Tin campus. At Lee Woo Sing College, the choir engaged in an exchange with the college choir, sharing choral rehearsal techniques and singing skills. A joint choral performance that followed featured songs from diverse regions and cultural backgrounds, allowing the young singers to share their passion for music and appreciation for their newly found friendships.

The choir visits CUHK’s Sha Tin campus on their final stop of the weeklong tour.