"Lights Out" heavily explores how sight and sound can work together in music to create a mesmerizing visual and sonic performance by setting the stage pitch black and using light-up drumsticks. So often our focus as musicians is sound, but in a live concert setting, sight can be an equally formidable force in creating a convincing performance. This work puts sight at the forefront and challenges players to concentrate on perfecting their movement and synchronizing their group formations, all in complete darkness!

This moving performance of "Hong Yan" was an audience favorite at our 2023 Winter Music Festival. "Hong Yan" is a traditional Chinese folk song whose title refers to a type of goose native to northern China. The song is a lament about missing home after seeing the birds flying in the sky above, migrating across China from the South back to their home in the North. While part of our educational mission at GMS is to encourage cross-cultural experiences, we believe it is equally important and beneficial to allow our students to appreciate their own culture through the study of classical music.

This lively rendition of "Believer" is performed by our very own GMS Percussion Ensemble. Committed to introducing middle and high school students to the rich and diverse world of percussion music, the GMS Percussion Ensemble aims to foster a deep appreciation for the boundless possibilities that the percussive arts offer, which span across virtually every musical genre imaginable - including Pop!

Please enjoy this very special rendition of the fourth movement of Dvorak's Symphony No. 9, performed by both student participants of our 2023 Winter Music Festival and guest artists of the Suzhou Symphony Orchestra. Guided and bolstered by the support of professional musicians in the orchestra, our students truly rose to the occasion in delivering a rousing performance of this well-known work.

One of the highlights of our 2023 Winter Music Festival, this performance of the first movement of Shostakovich's Cello Concerto No. 1 in E-flat Major features one of our GMS students as soloist performing with members of the Suzhou Symphony Orchestra. At GMS, we continuously seek to provide exemplary students with ample opportunity to showcase their skills on stage.

The focus of our 2023 Winter Festival was classical music, and as such, featured a breadth of works spanning from the Baroque period to contemporary classical music of today. This performance of "Te Deum," by Marc-Antoine Charpentier, is a fine example of Baroque music performed by our young students. Through this experience, our string sudents were able to learn more about their instrument's history, how to employ different styles and techniques in performing different genres of classical music, and also gain a greater appreciation for the wide range of marvelous music that exists within the world of classical itself.

Part of our percussion performance program for our 2023 Winter Music Festival, "Mozambique" was wonderfully received by our audience. "Mozambique" is a percussion ensemble work that draws inspiration from the music of Africa, featuring a variety of African instruments, modal melodic passages in the keyboards, and a driving, intense rhythm throughout the work. Part of the beauty of percussion is just how much variety exists within percussion music, which often bears influence from every culture and style of music thinkable. This also allows percussion students to learn more about music and the world at large through a diverse cultural experience!

Our 2023 Winter Music Festival featured a variety of percussion ensembles, but for this performance of "The Final Boss", we decided to combine students of different experience levels to defeat this final boss together! Featuring both beginner and more exprienced percussion students, this performance is a great demonstration of the power of working together and how collaboration between students of various levels can bring forth a wonderful musical moment.

This cloud ensemble performance of Coldplay’s Viva la Vida was one of the Shanghai Minhang VKBS Percussion Group’s Spring Semester final performances. Due to epidemic prevention and control measures, all classes were moved online, but that didn’t stop this group from working hard and reaping the benefits of online class (with lots of practicing at home!). Being beginner percussionists, these students did an amazing job learning their parts, especially well enough to be synchronized together in a cloud ensemble performance. Enjoy the sights, sounds, and creativity of the VKBS Percussion Group in their “Home Edition” of hit song Viva la Vida.

Due to Shanghai’s second wave of COVID and following epidemic prevention measures, all classes were moved online; but that didn’t stop the students of Global Music School from continuing their musical journey! Enjoy one of GMS’s string orchestras as they show off the efforts of their online classes in their cloud performance of Dance of the Golden Snake.

In March of 2022, Shanghai was hit with a second wave of COVID. Due to epidemic prevention measures, the entire city of Shanghai was under lockdown. This video is a message from the staff and faculty of Global Music School to its students.

“Being a GMS Teacher or Staff Member, our lives along with 25 million others’ were suddenly interrupted by the citywide lockdown that we’ve all been enduring together; but that never stopped our commitment to our work. For us, it’s deeper than that. We’re building the next generation of dreamers, leaders, and thinkers through music education - a mission that can’t be stopped by simply being locked in at home; a mission that’s worth it when we see our students’ smiles as we work towards a better, brighter future.

So we continue to strive, and dream, and carry on - it doesn’t matter what time or distance. Our students continue to be outstanding learners and young performers. Together, at their side - or on the other side of their screen - we keep aspiring to greatness. From a student’s first time learning to feel the beat in music to aiming for the very top in an international competition, we’re dedicated to guiding our students on their musical journey.

For us and our students, it’s not always easy, and sometimes it feels like things just won’t go the way we want them to. Just like when you first try to learn a new piece of music and it seems utterly impossible to play, life too can sometimes give us hardships that seem too difficult to overcome.

But with the help of friends, family, and teachers, we can achieve anything. When you stay on the path, persevere, and dedicate yourself to something truly meaningful, all that hard work is worth it in the end.

So, in these difficult times, remember that we’re there for you. Remember us, your teachers, your friends and mentors. Remember Global Music School - we’ve never left your side.”

Global Music School’s Summer Workshop is something that students of GMS look forward to each year. Enjoy one of our violin ensembles in their performance of Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!

Costumes, music, trick-or-treating, and candy abound! The Halloween Concert at Global Music School has become something the students of GMS can’t miss! Here are some of the highlights of the 2021 Halloween Concert.

With COVID restrictions, no audience members (including parents) were allowed in the concert hall for their Winter Festival Concert. Fortunately, that did not stop Global Music School from providing excellent performances! Enjoy as the cello ensemble performs New Year’s Happiness!

With COVID restrictions, no audience members (including parents) were allowed in the concert hall for their Winter Festival Concert. Fortunately, that did not stop Global Music School from providing excellent performances ! Enjoy as the violin ensemble performs Shostakovich’s Waltz No. 2!