Beethoven was first introduced in China in the early 20th Century, and quickly gained stature as the embodiment of musical, cultural, and philosophical ideals. But his name was not formalized in Chinese characters until much later. By the 1920’s there were over a dozen different versions of his name in use. These variations have been woven into the theme or our festival graphics and represent the notion not only of Beethoven’s great popularity in China, but also the many varied ways in which his legacy is reflected in Chinese musical culture.