This year's Beijing Modern Music Festival kicked off at the National Center for the Performing Arts on Sunday with the concert The Far Away Mast, by the Central Conservatory of Music's symphony orchestra. The festival has presented modern music by musicians from home and abroad annually since 2002.

Under the baton of conductor Hu Yongyan, the concert featured works, including Olivier Messiaen's Les Offrandes Oubliees for orchestra, James MacMillan's The Keening for orchestra and Chinese composer Ye Xiaogang's Mount E'mei for the violin, percussion and orchestra, Op. 73.

Violinist Huang Mengla, percussionist Hu Shengnan, tenor Xie Tian and soprano Song Yuanming joined in the opening show, which was watched by more than 1,500 people.