The prestigious international Tibor Varga violin competition, which takes place from August 22 to 29 in Sion (Switzerland), has commissioned Guo Wenjing to write the compulsory piece.

The result is a composition for violin and ensemble in two movements. The title shèxì is a Chinese term that refers to the theatre performances that take place - much less today than in the past - at village festivals in Sichuan, the region in southwest China where the composer was born.

The two movements are in stark contrast: one obscure and dark, the other clear and luminous; one evoking inhospitable mountains, the other bustling market places; one female, the other male. To put it in a wholly Chinese manner, one yin and one yang.