Dulwich Students attend 15th ISCMS Festival in Qingdao

Founded by Dulwich College Beijing, the first International Schools Choral Music Society (ISCMS) Festival took place in Beijing in 2008, with 120 students from 10 international schools in Asia. Since then, ISCMS has grown into one of the most well-known and prestigious music festivals in the region, attracting more than 450 students and teachers from over 20 international schools each academic year. Today, ISCMS operates within Worldwise Events, continuing to provide international platforms for high-level musical collaboration and exchange.

ISCMS aims to create opportunities for students to study and perform choral and orchestral music with internationally renowned practitioners in world class venues. As such, the ISCMS Festivals welcome a diverse range of musicians who work together with students and teachers in intensive workshops throughout the three-day festival, culminating in a stellar musical performance in a professional concert hall.

In addition, the festival hosts the renowned Karl Jenkins Composition Award, which invites young composers to combine cultures, traditions and histories to create original works that reflect a truly global musical dialogue.

Rising Through Every Note

Across the festival, ISCMS offered students from multiple Dulwich College International schools an immersive experience that extended well beyond a standard school music trip. Under the theme Grace & Glory, young musicians from Dulwich College Beijing, Dulwich College Seoul, Dulwich College Shanghai Pudong and Dulwich College Shanghai Puxi spent three days in intensive rehearsals. These culminated in a gala concert celebrating technical excellence and the shared joy of choral performance.

Rehearsing closely with students from different schools and cultural backgrounds, participants were challenged to listen more attentively, respond more precisely and perform to a professional standard in an unfamiliar concert hall environment. For Dulwich College International students, the festival formed part of a wider commitment to high-level performing arts education that values discipline, reflection and artistic growth.

The process demanded resilience, focus and openness to learning from others, encouraging young musicians to develop not only their technical ability but also their confidence, musical maturity and sense of responsibility within a large ensemble.

One of the defining features of ISCMS is its international character. Bringing together students from 14 international schools across Asia this year, the festival creates a shared musical language that quickly dissolves boundaries of age, background and school identity. Beyond rehearsals, students live, practise and socialise together, forming friendships that often prove as meaningful as the final performance itself. For many participants, this cultural exchange is where the festival's impact is felt most strongly.

For students ready to stretch themselves, ISCMS provides a rare opportunity to assume greater musical responsibility. The demanding repertoire, professional rehearsal structure and collaborative expectations push participants to refine their skills while learning how to lead, support and learn from one another. This environment nurtures musical discipline, leadership and independence, qualities that align closely with Dulwich College International's holistic education philosophy and its emphasis on long-term personal development.

Crafting Harmony Behind the Scenes

While Dulwich schools participated in this year's festival rather than serving as host, a strong Dulwich College Beijing presence was evident behind the scenes. Flemming Li, DCB Class of 2017 and now a music teacher at the hosting Yehudi Menuhin School, coordinated the event with meticulous attention to detail. Her younger brother, Michael Li Jr, DCB Class of 2021, returned from his studies in psychology at Tsinghua University to assist with logistical operations.

Flemming reflected on the influence of her own Dulwich education, shaped in part by former Director of Performing Arts Paul West at Dulwich College Beijing, now ISCMS secretary-general. 'It was important to me to create a space where students could feel challenged and inspired, just as I did as a participant,' she explained. Her journey from student to professional educator and festival organiser illustrates the lasting impact of a Dulwich education and the pathways it can open over time.

Dr Cameron Pyke, Head of Dulwich College Beijing, visited Qingdao during the festival. He met with Flemming Li at the Yehudi Menuhin School, stopped by student rehearsals and attended the gala concert, where he also met with Dulwich College International parents onsite. 'I was absolutely thrilled to join our musicians at the 15th ISCMS Gala Concert in Qingdao. The hard work and collaboration put in by the students over multiple days resulted in a stunning and life-enhancing evening of live music-making. I congratulate each of our performers for their passion and remarkable talent. I also thank our former student Flemming Li and our former Director of Performing Arts, Mr Paul West, who oversaw the exceptional organisation of the event and our wonderful parents who attended in person.'

Through experiences such as ISCMS, Dulwich College International schools continue to offer students opportunities that extend learning beyond the classroom, fostering creativity, resilience and global outlooks that remain with them long after the final note has faded.