This file photo taken in May 2019 shows Grammy-winning drummer Steve Smith performing in Zhengzhou, central China's Henan Province. The sixth Taihu Jazz Festival, hosted by China's National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), kicked off here on Thursday night, which fell on International Jazz Day. The festival has brought together more than 330 jazz musicians from 11 countries and regions and will run through May 5, the last day of the May Day holiday. (Xinhua)

BEIJING, May 2 (Xinhua) -- Taihu Town, a fast-rising performing arts hub in southeastern Beijing, has become a jazz festival destination during this year's May Day holiday.

The sixth Taihu Jazz Festival, hosted by China's National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), kicked off here on Thursday night, which fell on International Jazz Day. The festival has brought together more than 330 jazz musicians from 11 countries and regions and will run through May 5, the last day of the holiday.

Launched in 2021, the festival has evolved into something bigger than a jazz party. Here, the beat is being remade by who plays, who listens, and what powers the sound.

FRESH PARTNERS

At this year's festival, Grammy-winning drummer Steve Smith from the United States performed a dance piece in collaboration with the Tianjin Symphony Orchestra, as well as a special concert by his band, Vital Information.

"For people who maybe have never experienced jazz, my best recommendation is to start by experiencing it live," said Smith, adding that he really likes the audience here. "They pay attention and listen, and their energy comes out. Then the musicians give energy back, and there's a mutual exchange."

Although it was their first time working together, both Smith and the orchestra expressed satisfaction with the performance. "I've only done that like two or three times in my whole life. It's not very common for a drum set to play with the symphony. But it was very exciting," Smith said.

Li Biao, artistic director and chief conductor of the orchestra, said that musicians don't need many words to understand each other -- a glance or a gesture is enough. "Smith and I only spent a short time going over a few key transition points, and then we were able to play together seamlessly," Li said.

YOUNG CROWD

Smith has toured China many times since the 1990s and has observed that jazz audiences here are getting younger. On his phone, he keeps a photo of a group of children -- barely taller than the stage -- gathered around the front to watch him play the drums.

"Almost every time I play in China, there are children," the veteran jazz drummer said. "That's very unusual. Parents don't bring children to hear jazz in the U.S."

"I think a lot of them are first-timers. And then they come back because they do have a very good time," Smith added.

Yang Jiaguo, a college junior, was exactly such a first-time listener. "Moving to the rhythm of the music, many images come to mind. Jazz is not as unapproachable as I had imagined. I feel that I can appreciate it and even be a part of it," she said.

TECH REMIX

Humanoid robots also made an appearance at the festival, joining Chinese and international musicians. During the opening performance, members of the NCPA chorus performed with a humanoid robot, surprising the audience.

In fact, modern technology from robots to artificial intelligence (AI) has already entered the lives of jazz musicians. Norwegian jazz pianist Bugge Wesseltoft, known for blending electronic music with jazz, performed at this year's festival with a laptop next to his piano, layering piano melodies with electronic effects to create a unique sound.

"To me, a computer is also an instrument just like a violin or a piano," said Wesseltoft, a pioneering jazz musician who has started experimenting with AI. "I think there will be a three-way dialogue among the real-time music, the computer and the audience."

Huang Yong, music director of the Taihu Jazz Festival, has also "taken a bite" of AI technology. In his view, AI can help more people "push open the door to jazz."

"AI won't threaten real musicians," he said. "It will bring more people to the live scene, right in front of the musicians." ■

Audience watch a performance at the sixth Taihu Jazz Festival in Beijing, capital of China, April 30, 2026.

The sixth Taihu Jazz Festival, hosted by China's National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), kicked off here on Thursday night, which fell on International Jazz Day. The festival has brought together more than 330 jazz musicians from 11 countries and regions and will run through May 5, the last day of the May Day holiday. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong)

People have fun at the sixth Taihu Jazz Festival in Beijing, capital of China, April 30, 2026.

The sixth Taihu Jazz Festival, hosted by China's National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), kicked off here on Thursday night, which fell on International Jazz Day. The festival has brought together more than 330 jazz musicians from 11 countries and regions and will run through May 5, the last day of the May Day holiday. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong)

Members of the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) chorus perform at the sixth Taihu Jazz Festival in Beijing, capital of China, April 30, 2026.

The sixth Taihu Jazz Festival, hosted by China's National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), kicked off here on Thursday night, which fell on International Jazz Day. The festival has brought together more than 330 jazz musicians from 11 countries and regions and will run through May 5, the last day of the May Day holiday. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong)

A band performs at the sixth Taihu Jazz Festival in Beijing, capital of China, April 30, 2026.

The sixth Taihu Jazz Festival, hosted by China's National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), kicked off here on Thursday night, which fell on International Jazz Day. The festival has brought together more than 330 jazz musicians from 11 countries and regions and will run through May 5, the last day of the May Day holiday. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong)

Conductor Li Biao of the Tianjin Symphony Orchestra conducts at the sixth Taihu Jazz Festival in Beijing, capital of China, April 30, 2026.

The sixth Taihu Jazz Festival, hosted by China's National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), kicked off here on Thursday night, which fell on International Jazz Day. The festival has brought together more than 330 jazz musicians from 11 countries and regions and will run through May 5, the last day of the May Day holiday. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong)

The Tianjin Symphony Orchestra performs at the sixth Taihu Jazz Festival in Beijing, capital of China, April 30, 2026.

The sixth Taihu Jazz Festival, hosted by China's National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), kicked off here on Thursday night, which fell on International Jazz Day. The festival has brought together more than 330 jazz musicians from 11 countries and regions and will run through May 5, the last day of the May Day holiday. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong)

A band performs at the sixth Taihu Jazz Festival in Beijing, capital of China, April 30, 2026.

The sixth Taihu Jazz Festival, hosted by China's National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), kicked off here on Thursday night, which fell on International Jazz Day. The festival has brought together more than 330 jazz musicians from 11 countries and regions and will run through May 5, the last day of the May Day holiday. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong)

Li Xiaochuan (L), a renowned Chinese jazz trumpeter, performs at the sixth Taihu Jazz Festival in Beijing, capital of China, April 30, 2026.

The sixth Taihu Jazz Festival, hosted by China's National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), kicked off here on Thursday night, which fell on International Jazz Day. The festival has brought together more than 330 jazz musicians from 11 countries and regions and will run through May 5, the last day of the May Day holiday. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong)