"A modern music festival should not only present contemporary musicians' masterpieces but also pay attention to the development of modern music and the music's impact on society," said Ye.

Paying attention to music education has been a tradition of the BMMF. This year, the 2011 China International Forum on Cultural, Fine Arts and Humanities Education was another major part of the festival.

The forum was divided into three phases held separately at different times this year. The first phase was held on May 23-25. It discussed issues related to music theories and practices. Guest speakers, such as Shinichiro Ikebe, Steven Stucky, Chinese-American composer Chen Yi and Georgian composer Giya Kancheli, gave speeches on their own music and composition careers.

Many celebrities of Chinese art and culture circles were present at the forum, including theater director Meng Jinghui, composer and writer Liu Suola, publisher Hong Huang and composer Qu Xiaosong. They discussed topics such as the modern music and art, Chinese music and art in the context of globalization.

Qu shared his view on mainstream music. He said he thought now music had entered an age of diversification. Thus mainstream music cannot be limited to Western classical symphonies and classical operas.

The second phase of the forum will be held on October 16 in Beijing featuring a seminar led by Polish composer Karol Szymanowski, an extended part of the festival. The third phase of the forum will include a competition of theses on modern music, and related academic seminars later this year.

Since its establishment, the BMMF has been dedicated to promoting contemporary music, cultivating young composers and holding performances of a great number of modern music works by young composers.

"Many talented young composers lack chances to appear on international music stages. Many outstanding works are unknown, let alone exerting their deserved influence. Therefore, platforms to help talented young composers broaden career roads are very necessary," said Ye.

In 2010 the BMMF launched the Young Composer Project (YCP), which focused on integrating the comprehensive resource of the music festival and providing necessary financial support to young talent, as well as developing a broader audience market through concerts and the publishing of scores and music books.

The YCP vigorously supports and encourages the development of young composers and provides them with sustainable development platforms to show their talent. The YCP also aims to exert a powerful influence on this generation's young composers, to create a good foundation for their professional training and to establish a solid base for their long-term development.

With a high-level, world-class judging panel and an impartial, fair and open selection procedure as well as a completed award mechanism, the YCP has now gained a great reputation. In 2011, 88 music works from countries of all the five continents applied for the YCP competition.

The 2011 BMMF also called on composers in China to write campus songs for students and provide help for the art education in China's central and western areas. Up to now, more than 30 songs have been created, and the BMMF will select 12 songs and make an album this year.

The festival has also organized master classes for young composers from all over the world, hoping to provide a chance of close communication among composers worldwide.