Handcrafted violins from Italian workshops are making their debut alongside amplifiers designed for Chinese living rooms at this year's Music China, where global brands are voicing fresh confidence in the country's expanding music market and organizers are reporting a record turnout of overseas buyers.
The four-day event, which runs through Saturday, has drawn instrument makers from more than 30 countries and regions to Shanghai. It comes as spending in the sector is increasingly driven by personal interest, with music education gaining ground and household demand continuing to expand, a market outlook that global brands are unanimously upbeat about.
The fair has long served as a key meeting point for buyers and sellers from around the world, and this year many European luthiers brought their finest handcrafted violins for their first showing.
"Because Shanghai Music Fair is a very international fair. It's in a strategic, very good position. You cover all the Asian countries from Singapore, Korea, Japan, but also America, Australia, New Zealand. I made business already with everyone," said Edgar Russ, an Italian luthier.
Daniele Tonarelli, another Italian luthier, has been exhibiting in Shanghai for more than a decade.
"It's already more than 10 years. I think that my first time in Shanghai was 2010. And yes, it's always a pleasure to be here. A lot of people come and play," said Tonarelli.
The optimism extends well beyond high-end strings, with overseas audio brands also deepening their localized presence to tap China's expanding demand. Marshall Group brought multiple new products to this year's fair, among them a "Spring Festival limited series" celebrating the Chinese Lunar New Year, tailored specifically for the Chinese market.
"The performance in China is very strong. We see very, very positive and strong energy around our brand and the customers continue to grow with that. We're also very excited to see Chinese consumers making Marshall part of their everyday life, both as a musician but also as a music enthusiast. So we'll continue to invest," said Pierre Carlson, chief commercial officer of Marshall Group.
That global appeal is showing up in the numbers, with pre-registrations for this year's fair approaching 100,000, including nearly 10,000 overseas visitors and buyers, a historic high, according to the organizers.
"This year, we organized over 30 business matchmaking meetings with more than a dozen countries, including the U.S., UK, France, Italy, and Brazil. They cover all product categories. The number of foreign buyers has hit a record high," said Sun Ruiyong, chairman of the China Musical Instrument Association.
Held annually since 2002 at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre, Music China has grown into Asia's premier trade show for musical instruments, equipment and music technology.
Music instrument fair in Shanghai highlights global brands' confidence in Chinese market
