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Back to Press Release List > 11/16/2009 - Ancient Paths, Modern Voices: A Festival Celebrating Chinese Culture

CARNEGIE HALL PRESENTS
ANCIENT PATHS, MODERN VOICES
A FESTIVAL CELEBRATING CHINESE CULTURE

October 21–November 10, 2009—NEW YORK CITY
October 15–November 24, 2009—COSTA MESA, CALIFORNIA

Festival Explores China’s Diverse and Vibrant Culture and Its
Influence Worldwide Through Music, Dance, Marionette Theater,
Film, Calligraphy, Art Exhibitions, and More

Performers Include Wu Man, Lang Lang, Yo-Yo Ma, Cho-Liang Lin,
Long Yu and the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra,
Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra,
Shen Wei Dance Arts, The Han Tang Yuefu Music and Dance Ensemble,
and More, Plus Premieres of New Music by Chen Qigang, Tan Dun, and Angel Lam

Festival Launches with Quanzhou Marionette Theater
October 15 in California and October 21 in New York

carnegiehall.org/chinafestival

For Immediate Release, July 29, 2009 (Updated October 13, 2009), NEW YORK, NY—This fall, Carnegie Hall presents Ancient Paths, Modern Voices: A Festival Celebrating Chinese Culture, paying tribute to China’s diverse and vibrant culture and its influence around the world with 21 days of events at Carnegie Hall and New York partner institutions, presented from October 21 to November 10, 2009. An exciting new alliance between Carnegie Hall and Segerstrom Center for the Arts will also bring select Ancient Paths, Modern Voices programming to Costa Mesa, California, resulting in a festival presented simultaneously by the Philharmonic Society of Orange County and partner institutions on the West Coast from October 11 to November 24, 2009.

Ancient Paths, Modern Voices features performances by leading international musicians, including some artists traveling outside China for the first time. Festival performances will feature many genres of music—from Western symphonic and chamber music influenced by Chinese culture to Chinese traditional folk music and contemporary music, including premieres by internationally recognized Chinese composers. The festival exploration also includes a wide variety of other offerings on each coast, including traditional marionette theater, dance, film screenings, calligraphy, panel discussions, and art exhibitions, offering insights into a world that mixes the ancient and the modern, the traditional and the cutting-edge.

With over 30 events, the reach of Ancient Paths, Modern Voices in New York will be extended throughout the city through partnerships between Carnegie Hall and other prestigious cultural institutions: Asia Society, China Institute, Works & Process at the Guggenheim, The Joyce Theater, The Juilliard School, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Chinese in America, and The Paley Center for Media, as well as through a series of free Neighborhood Concerts presented by Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute in the community venues of Flushing Town Hall in Queens as well as Abrons Arts Center at Henry Street Settlement, University Settlement at the Houston Street Center, and The Performance Project @ University Settlement on Manhattan’s Lower East Side.

The California line-up for Ancient Paths, Modern Voices, presented by the Philharmonic Society of Orange County and supported by presenting sponsor South Coast Plaza and The Segerstrom Foundation, will feature performances by major artists and ensembles appearing at Carnegie Hall as well as new programming created through the Philharmonic Society’s relationships with Orange County Performing Arts Center, Orange County Museum of Art, South Coast Repertory Theatre, the Colburn School of Music in Los Angeles, and other Southern Californian cultural institutions. This relationship between Carnegie Hall and Segerstrom Center for the Arts marks the first time that Carnegie Hall festival programming will be offered to audiences outside New York City.

Ancient Paths, Modern Voices: A Festival Celebrating Chinese Culture is made possible by a leadership gift from Henry R. Kravis in honor of his wife Marie-Josée.

* * * *
Ancient Paths, Modern Voices Programming in New York City:

Ancient Paths, Modern Voices in New York launches at Carnegie Hall on October 21 with a performance in Zankel Hall by the Quanzhou Marionette Theater. With song, musical accompaniment, and sophisticated storytelling drawn from Chinese folk tales, this troupe from the Fujian Province in Southern China presents this ancient performance tradition, known as a regional form of Peking opera.

Over the following three weeks, the festival’s musical offerings will include programs created in collaboration with leading Chinese musicians—pipa player Wu Man, pianist Lang Lang, composer and conductor Tan Dun, and conductor Long Yu—highlighting different musical aspects of Chinese culture as well as featuring premieres of new music by acclaimed composers Chen Qigang, Tan Dun, and Angel Lam.

Carnegie Hall festival presentations include two concerts of traditional Chinese music, curated and hosted by Wu Man; a chamber music program by Ensemble ACJW featuring works by composers from the Class of 1978, the first class admitted to music conservatories in China after the Cultural Revolution; a concert by Robert Spano and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra featuring the New York premiere of Angel Lam’s Awakening from a Disappearing Garden with soloist Yo-Yo Ma; a performance by David Robertson and the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra featuring Western works inspired by Chinese culture as well as Bright Sheng’s Colors of Crimson and Tan Dun’s Water Concerto with percussionist Colin Currie; and a performance by conductor Yan Huichang and the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra, an 85-member orchestra comprised of traditional and modern Chinese instruments with a repertoire encompassing traditional and contemporary works as well as the commissioning of close to 1,700 new works of various styles.

Pianist Lang Lang will make three appearances at Carnegie Hall as part of the Ancient Paths, Modern Voices festival in New York. He will perform chamber music with young emerging classical musicians from China including pianists Marc Yu and Jingyi Zhang, tenor GeQun Wang, erhu player Guo Gan, cellist Hai-Ye Ni, and violinist David Chan as well as Scholars from the Lang Lang International Music Foundation: pianists Anna Larsen, Charlie Liu, and Derek Wang. Lang Lang also appears as soloist in the world premiere of Er Huang by Chen Qigang with conductor Michael Tilson Thomas and the Juilliard Orchestra.

Ancient Paths, Modern Voices closes in New York with a performance at Carnegie Hall by Lang Lang with the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra and Music Director Long Yu. The oldest symphonic ensemble in China, the Shanghai Symphony was founded in 1879, and its own history traces the evolution of symphonic music itself in China. The program features Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 and Chen Qigang’s Iris dévoilée, a suite for orchestra, female voices, and the traditional Chinese instruments pipa, erhu, and zheng.

The Juilliard School will present two free concerts at Alice Tully Hall as part of the festival: an all-Tan Dun program, conducted by the composer, featuring the world premiere of his new violin concerto with soloist Cho-Liang Lin and the Juilliard Orchestra; and a concert by the New Juilliard Ensemble showcasing works written by composers living and working in China today, including Guo Wenjing, Jia Daqun, Liu Sola, Ye Xiaogang, Lee Shaosheng, and Zhu Jian’er.

Additional highlights at partner institutions include seven performances by the Taiwan-based The Han Tang Yuefu Music and Dance Ensemble at The Joyce Theater, recreating traditional music and dance of the 10th-century Tang Dynasty with sumptuous costumes and sets by Oscar winner Tim Yip; a modern dance program to launch the 10th anniversary celebration of Shen Wei Dance Arts as part of the Works & Process performing arts series at the Guggenheim Museum; a calligraphy and music demonstration and a panel discussion at the China Institute; a panel discussion on the modern cultural identity of Chinese American artists moderated by Tony Award-winning playwright David Henry Hwang at the Museum of Chinese in America; film screenings exploring US and Chinese cultural exchange at The Paley Center for Media (including From Mao to Mozart: Isaac Stern in China, CBS Reports: The Boston Symphony Orchestra Goes to China, Willy Loman Comes to China: Death of a Salesman in Peking, and Jacques d’Amboise in China: The Other Side of the World); and a Chinese teahouse event and a panel discussion at the Asia Society.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art will present Silk and Bamboo: Music and Art of China—curated by J. Kenneth Moore, Frederick P. Rose Curator in Charge, Department of Musical Instruments, and James C. Y. Watt, Brooke Russell Astor Chairman of the Department of Asian Art—drawing largely from the museum’s permanent collection; and, with China in Chelsea and Beyond, select New York art galleries will join forces to celebrate Chinese contemporary visual arts, exhibiting work by some of today’s leading Chinese artists. Participating galleries include Arario Gallery, AW Asia, Chambers Fine Art, ChinaSquare, Goedhuis Contemporary, Max Protetch, and Stux Gallery.

Free Carnegie Hall Neighborhood Concerts presented by Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute and featuring performances by Chinese artists in community venues throughout New York ensures that Ancient Paths, Modern Voices will be accessible to all. Neighborhood Concert performances will be given by percussion group Ba Da Chui, the Zhang Family Band, Ensemble ACJW, and pianist Haochen Zhang. Also part of the free Neighborhood Concert series, the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra will present two Chinese instrument workshops prior to its performance at Carnegie Hall.

In conjunction with Ancient Paths, Modern Voices, Carnegie Hall has launched a special web site: carnegiehall.org/chinafestival. This online companion site features the most up-to-date information on events as well as interviews with featured artists and insights into Chinese culture and festival programs.

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Ancient Paths, Modern Voices Programming in Costa Mesa, California:

Ancient Paths, Modern Voices programming at Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa, California will include: performances by the Quanzhou Marionette Theater; an evening of traditional Chinese folk music, curated by Wu Man; Cho-Liang Lin with the Colburn Orchestra, led by Yehuda Gilad, performing Tan Dun’s Out of Peking Opera (Violin Concerto No. 1); an evening of chamber music with Lang Lang and friends; and a concert by the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra with Music Director Long Yu, performing music by Chen Qigang and Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 with soloist Yuja Wang.

Additional events in Southern California will include an exhibition of video work by contemporary Chinese artists Gao Shiqiang and Chen Qiulin presented by the Orange County Museum of Art; a screening of the 1980 documentary film From Mao to Mozart: Isaac Stern in China presented by the Bowers Museum; an exhibition of the photography of Quentin Shi presented by Christian Dior and South Coast Plaza; a staged reading of Adeline Yen Mah’s Falling Leaves presented by South Coast Repertory; a film showcase exploring Los Angeles and Beijing as global cities presented by USC/US China Institute and Orange County Film Society; and a panel discussion presented by The University of California Humanities Research Institute on the outcome of the summer 2009 Seminar in Experimental Critical Theory entitled Designing China.

For more details and updated West Coast festival information, including partner events in Southern California, please visit philharmonicsociety.org/chinafestival.

Segerstrom Center for the Arts encompasses South Coast Repertory Theater; Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, which opened in 2006; an arts plaza which features the Richard Serra sculpture Connector; and the future home of the Orange County Museum of Art, which is expected to open in 2016.

ANCIENT PATHS, MODERN VOICES PROGRAMMING IN NEW YORK

(Presented by Carnegie Hall unless otherwise noted)

CONCERTS

Quanzhou Marionette Theater
October 21 at 7:30 p.m., Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall

The Quanzhou Marionette Theater is the foremost exponent of this ancient tradition from the Fujian Province in southern China. For this performance, which includes singing and musical accompaniment, the troupe performs excerpts from a wide variety of traditional Chinese folk tales.

Taste of China, Curated and Hosted by Wu Man
October 23 at 7:30 p.m., Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall

Taste of China is the first of two festival concerts at Carnegie Hall of traditional Chinese music curated by renowned pipa player Wu Man. From ancient court music to folk music, this performance presents a wide range of traditional Chinese musical styles performed by a variety of self-taught and classically trained musicians. A female vocal group from the Dong ethnic minority performs polyphonic music. Acclaimed virtuoso Zhao Jiazhen performs on the qin (seven-stringed zither), widely regarded as the most important instrument of the dominant Han culture. Also appearing is Ba Da Chui percussion group, which performs on instruments that play a central role in most Chinese traditional music.

Ancient Spirits, Curated and Hosted by Wu Man
October 24 at 7:30 p.m., Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall

At this second festival concert curated by Wu Man, two ensembles present traditional music performed at village rituals such as temple fairs, weddings, funerals, and seasonal festivities. The ritual music, performed by the Li Family Daoist Band and Zhang Family Band (“Old Tune Traditional Music” with shadow puppets), reaches as far back as the Han Dynasty (206 BCE), and is still deeply rooted in the daily life of the Chinese village today. Presented by Carnegie Hall in partnership with the World Music Institute.

Class of 1978 with Ensemble ACJW
October 26 at 7:30 p.m., Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall

The illustrious Class of 1978, the first graduating class from music conservatories after the Cultural Revolution, included such noted composers as Guo Wenjing, Chen Yi, Chen Qigang, and many more. This concert by Ensemble ACJW includes chamber music written by this extraordinary generation of composers.

Juilliard Orchestra with Tan Dun and Cho-Liang Lin
October 26 at 7:30 p.m., Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center

The Juilliard School presents music by internationally recognized composer Tan Dun. Tan Dun conducts this program, which includes the world premiere of his new violin concerto, co-commissioned by The Juilliard School and the Singapore Symphony Orchestra for Juilliard faculty member Cho-Liang Lin. Presented by The Juilliard School.

Lang Lang and Friends
October 27 at 8:00 p.m., Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall

Pianist Lang Lang makes the first of his festival appearances on this program, performing chamber music with young emerging classical musicians from China, pianists Marc Yu and Jingyi Zhang, tenor GeQun Wang, erhu player Guo Gan, cellist Hai-Ye Ni, violinist David Chan as well as Scholars from the Lang Lang International Music Foundation: pianists Anna Larsen, Charlie Liu, and Derek Wang. Repertoire will include works by Schubert and Tchaikovsky.

Juilliard Orchestra with Michael Tilson Thomas and Lang Lang
October 28 at 8:00 p.m., Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall

Michael Tilson Thomas leads the Juilliard Orchestra in a program to include Lou Harrison’s “The Family of the Court” from Pacifika Rondo and Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde with mezzo-soprano Anne Sofie von Otter and tenor Gregory Kunde. A program highlight will be the world premiere of Er Huang for piano and orchestra by Chen Qigang, commissioned by Carnegie Hall through the generosity of Henry R. Kravis in honor of his wife, Marie-Josée. Lang Lang appears as soloist and will also perform Chinese works for solo piano.

Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra
October 30 at 8:00 p.m., Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall

The Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra, one the world’s leading symphonic ensembles of traditional Chinese instruments, performs arrangements of traditional music as well as newly composed works. This program includes works by Law Wing-Fai, Guo Wenjing, Zhao Jiping, and Cheng Dazhao. Presented by the Ministry of Culture of the People’s Republic of China in partnership with Carnegie Hall.

Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra with David Robertson and Colin Currie
November 4 at 8:00 p.m., Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall

Music Director David Robertson leads the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra in a program to include
Stravinsky’s Chant du rossignol and Bartók’s The Miraculous Mandarin Suite, both works by Western composers inspired by Chinese culture. The program also includes percussion concertos by Chinese composers Bright Sheng (Colors of Crimson) and Tan Dun (Water Concerto) with percussionist Colin Currie.

Atlanta Symphony Orchestra with Robert Spano, Yo-Yo Ma, and Vocal Soloists
November 7 at 8:00 p.m., Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall

Music Director Robert Spano conducts the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and cellist Yo-Yo Ma in the New York premiere of Angel Lam’s Awakening from a Disappearing Garden, a new work commissioned by Carnegie Hall through the generosity of Henry R. Kravis in honor of his wife, Marie-Josée. The program also includes a concert version of Stravinsky’s Le Rossignol (The Nightingale) featuring the Atlanta Symphony Chamber Chorus and vocal soloists. Stravinsky’s opera, set in ancient China, was inspired by a folk tale by Hans Christian Andersen about a Chinese emperor who is completely enraptured by the singing of his beloved nightingale.

New Juilliard Ensemble
November 9 at 8:00 p.m., Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center

This partner event by the New Juilliard Ensemble led by Founding Director and conductor Joel Sachs, includes works written during the past 10 years by composers living and working in China today, including Liu Sola (In Corporeal 1), Ye Xiaogang (Nine Horses), and Guo Wenjing (Concertino for Cello and Chamber Orchestra), all of whom were members of the “Class of 1978” at Beijing’s Central Conservatory. Also on the program is Li Shaosheng’s Skyline on the Moon (World Premiere), the U.S premiere of Zhu Jian-er’s Symphony No. 4, Op. 31, for Chinese flute and 22 strings, and Three Images from Ink and Wash Painting by Jia Daqun, a contemporary of the “Class of 1978” composers who originally studied for eight years as a painter. Presented by The Juilliard School.

Shanghai Symphony Orchestra with Long Yu and Lang Lang
November 10 at 8:00 p.m., Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall

The closing performance of Ancient Paths, Modern Voices in New York features renowned Chinese conductor Long Yu leading the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra. The orchestra and Maestro Long are joined by pianist Lang Lang, making his third festival appearance, as the evening’s soloist in Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2. The program also features a performance of Chen Qigang’s Iris dévoilée, with soprano Xiaoduo Chen, Peking opera soprano Meng Meng, erhu player Nan Wang, pipa player Jia Li, and guzheng player Xin Sun.

NEIGHBORHOOD CONCERTS AND EDUCATIONAL EVENTS

Carnegie Hall Neighborhood Concert: Ba Da Chui, Hosted by Wu Man
October 24 at 3:00 p.m., The Performance Project @ University Settlement

Pipa player Wu Man hosts a free Neighborhood Concert featuring Ba Da Chui percussion group at University Settlement on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. Presented by Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute.

Carnegie Hall Neighborhood Concert: Class of 1978 with Ensemble ACJW
October 25 at 2:00 p.m., Flushing Town Hall

The illustrious Class of 1978, the first graduating class from music conservatories after the Cultural Revolution, included composers who would revitalize Chinese contemporary music. This free Neighborhood Concert at Flushing Town Hall in Queens includes chamber music by this extraordinary generation of composers. Presented by Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute.

Carnegie Hall Neighborhood Concert: Zhang Family Band
October 25 at 3:00 p.m., Abrons Arts Center at Henry Street Settlement

The Zhang Family Band, which performs traditional, ritual music of China with shadow puppetry performs at this free Neighborhood Concert at Henry Street Settlement on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. Presented by Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute.

Chinese Instrument Workshop
October 28 at 10:30 a.m., Flushing Town Hall
October 29 at 4:00 p.m., University Settlement at Houston Street Center

Members of the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra, one the world’s leading symphonic ensembles of traditional Chinese instruments, offer a close look at four main types of traditional Chinese instruments. The workshops, led by Resident Conductor Chew Hee-chiat, include a talk and demonstration of bowed, plucked, wind, and percussion instruments from the orchestra. Stay afterwards for a chance to try the instruments. Presented by Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute.

Carnegie Hall Neighborhood Concert: Haochen Zhang
November 2 at 7:30 p.m., Flushing Town Hall

This will be Mr. Zhang’s first concert in New York since becoming the youngest and first Chinese performer to earn the Gold Medal at the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in June 2009. The program includes Chopin’s complete 24 Preludes, Op. 28; Ravel’s Gaspard de la nuit; and Liszt’s Rhapsodie espagnole. Presented by Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute.

DANCE

Works & Process at the Guggenheim: Shen Wei Dance Arts at 10
October 24 and October 25 at 7:30 p.m., Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

Last year, the world watched as Shen Wei’s modern dance took center stage at the Opening Ceremonies of the Summer Olympics in Beijing. This fall, the New York-based company Shen Wei Dance Arts launches its 10th anniversary season with a program that explores Shen Wei’s creative process through performance and discussion with the artist. A reception with the artists follows in the rotunda of the Guggenheim Museum. Presented by Works & Process at the Guggenheim.

The Han Tang Yuefu Music and Dance Ensemble
Seven performances, November 3–8, The Joyce Theater

The famous ancient painting of The Feast of Han Xizai will be brought to life in seven performances by The Han Tang Yuefu Music and Dance Ensemble at The Joyce Theater. The Taiwan-based company recreates the traditional Nanguan music and Liyuan dance of the 10th century Tang Dynasty, with sumptuous costumes and sets by Oscar winner Tim Yip (Best Art Direction for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon). Dancers and musicians will enact this legendary story of the talented official and bon vivant Han Xizai with subtle drama and refined elegance. Presented by The Joyce Theater.

EXHIBITIONS

Silk and Bamboo: Music and Art of China
The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Silk and Bamboo: Music and Art of China is an exhibition celebrating the diverse musical heritage of China, one of the oldest continuously documented traditions with roots reaching back more than 8,000 years. With about 60 objects drawn largely from the Museum’s permanent collection, the exhibition features a wide variety of musical instruments and art, including a rare Ming dynasty ivory-covered pipa (lute) and lacquered qin (zither), extraordinary bells from the fifth century B.C., and Han dynasty pottery in the shapes of dancers and musicians. The Museum will also offer a number of educational activities and performances, including an event on October 18, “Sunday at the Met—A Chinese Celebration” that is free with museum admission. Presented by The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Curators: J. Kenneth Moore, Frederick P. Rose Curator, Department of Musical Instruments and James C. Y. Watt, Brooke Russell Astor Chairman, Department of Asian Art. The exhibition runs from September 5, 2009, to February 7, 2010.

China in Chelsea and Beyond
Galleries in and around Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood

Throughout the festival, select art galleries in Chelsea and beyond join forces for China in Chelsea and Beyond, a celebration of Chinese contemporary visual arts. Participating galleries that will exhibit work by some of today’s leading figures from the Chinese art world include: Arario Gallery, AW Asia, Chambers Fine Art, ChinaSquare, Goedhuis Contemporary, Max Protetch Gallery, and Stux Gallery, with featured artists such as Yue Minjun, Qi Zhilong, Tan Dun, Sun Xun, and many more.

Harmonic Visions
October 21 to December 31, Zankel Hall

Also, beginning October 21, Carnegie Hall will present Harmonic Visions, an exhibition of contemporary Chinese photography in Zankel Hall, sponsored and curated by Chambers Fine Art. China boasts more than 5,000 years of history, the presence and influence of which can be felt in many aspects of its society and culture. The visual artists featured in this exhibition combine their experiences of living in contemporary China with the country’s rich and diverse traditions. Artists featured are: Hong Hao, Hong Lei, He Yunchang, Qiu Zhijie, Rong Rong, Weng Fen, Wang Tiande, Yin Xiuzhen, Song Dong, and Zhang Huan. The exhibit will be open to Zankel Hall concertgoers through December 31.

DISCUSSIONS AND MUSICAL DEMONSTRATIONS

Qin and Chinese Calligraphy
October 22 at 6:30 p.m., China Institute

The aesthetics shared by qin musicians and Chinese calligraphers will be discussed and demonstrated by Mingmei Yip at this special event. The linear quality of calligraphy and the melodic lines of the qin (seven-stringed zither) embody the interplay between yin and yang, sound and space. The ancient Chinese philosophy of nurturing life and longevity by harnessing breath, energy, and qi (chi) is aspired to through qin playing and calligraphic brush strokes. Presented by China Institute.

Chinese Teahouse
October 25 at 7:00 p.m., Asia Society

A traditional Chinese teahouse presents the culture of music and tea together. This special event features an intimate meeting of the two at Asia Society, featuring music making by the women singers from the Dong minority group and Zhao Jiazhen performing on the qin. Presented by Asia Society.

China Art(s) Today: A Conversation Between Tan Dun and Wenda Gu
November 2 at 7:00 p.m., Asia Society

Melissa Chiu, director of the Asia Society Museum, moderates a panel discussion exploring contemporary Chinese arts with avant-garde artist Wenda Gu and award-winning composer Tan Dun. Two of China’s most provocative and adventuresome artistic voices talk about their work and ponder future directions for themselves and for contemporary Chinese art(s). The very process of creating work has become increasingly fluid and complex and Chinese artists are working at the intersection of national identity and global culture. Presented by Asia Society.

Traditional Chinese Music in the 21st Century
November 5 at 6:30 p.m., China Institute

Exciting collaborations among young Chinese musicians bridging traditional and contemporary, Chinese and Western, sound and visual multimedia are setting a new tone in the world of music. In a discussion moderated by China Institute director France Pepper, composer Huang Ruo talks about integrating Chinese folk songs into Western orchestral music and pipa player Min Xiao-Fen demonstrates how the pipa can be adapted to jazz and blues. Presented by China Institute.

Evolving Cultural Identity of Chinese American Artists
November 6 at 7:00 p.m., Museum of Chinese in America

Tony Award-winning playwright David Henry Hwang and guests discuss how China’s past and present are shaping the dynamic and modern cultural identity of Chinese American artists. Presented by the Museum of Chinese in America.

FILM SCREENINGS

Music and Theater: A Universal Language
November 7 and November 8, The Paley Center for Media

The Paley Center for Media will screen a series of documentaries about cultural exchange between the United States and China. The programs will include From Mao to Mozart: Isaac Stern in China (1979), CBS Reports: The Boston Symphony Orchestra Goes to China (1979), Willy Loman Comes to China: Death of a Salesman in Peking (1983), Jacques d’Amboise in China: The Other Side of the World (2008), and a special family screening of Mozart in China (2008). Presented by The Paley Center for Media.

ANCIENT PATHS, MODERN VOICES PROGRAMMING IN CALIFORNIA

(Presented by the Philharmonic Society of Orange County unless otherwise noted)

CONCERTS

Quanzhou Marionette Theater
October 16–17 at 8:00 p.m., Orange County Performing Arts Center’s Samueli Theater at Segerstrom Center for the Arts

The Quanzhou Marionette Theater is the foremost exponent of this ancient tradition from the Fujian Province in southern China. For these performances, which include singing and musical accompaniment, the troupe performs excerpts from a wide variety of traditional Chinese folk tales. On October 16, a special pre-concert reading with best-selling author Adeline Yen Mah will begin at 7 p.m. Attending guests will receive a copy of her latest book CHINA: A Land of Dragons and Emperors.

Musical Journeys Through China, Curated and Hosted by Wu Man
October 27 at 8:00 p.m., Orange County Performing Arts Center’s Samueli Theater at Segerstrom Center for the Arts

World renowned pipa virtuoso and founding member of Yo-Yo Ma’s cross-cultural Silk Road Ensemble, Wu Man returns to Orange County with Musical Journeys Through China. As curator and host, Wu Man will introduce various Chinese instrumental folk music traditions featuring an ensemble of talented artists. Topics include an introduction to Chinese instrumental folk music traditions during various events, and presentations of ancient Chinese instruments that played a vital part in Chinese traditional music, such as the qin and the pipa.

The Colburn Orchestra with Yehuda Gilad and Cho-Liang Lin
October 29 at 8:00 p.m., Orange County Performing Arts Center’s Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall at Segerstrom Center for the Arts

The Colburn Orchestra, led by conductor Yehuda Gilad, performs Tan Dun’s Out of Peking Opera with violinist Cho-Liang Lin. The concert also includes Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 4 in D Major, K.218, and Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5 in D minor, Op. 47.

Lang Lang and Friends
November 3 at 7:00 p.m., Orange County Performing Arts Center’s Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall at Segerstrom Center for the Arts

Pianist Lang Lang performs chamber music with young emerging classical musicians from China, including pianist Marc Yu, tenor GeQun Wang, erhu player Guo Gan, violinist Zhu Dan, and cellist Hai-Ye Ni. Repertoire will include works by Schubert and Tchaikovsky. The South Coast Chinese Cultural Association will present a pre-concert lecture and demonstration featuring Chinese musical instruments performed by the instructor and students from Irvine Chinese School’s Chinese Orchestra and Galaxy Youth Art Performing Group. This event will be open to all Lang Lang and Friends ticketholders and begins at 6 p.m.

Shanghai Symphony Orchestra with Long Yu and Yuja Wang
November 24 at 8:00 p.m., Orange County Performing Arts Center’s Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall at Segerstrom Center for the Arts

Led by conductor Long Yu, the Philharmonic Society of Orange County’s celebration of Chinese culture concludes with Yuja Wang’s performance of Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 and Chen Qigang’s Iris dévoilée, which features three traditional Chinese instruments: pipa, erhu, and zheng.

EXHIBITIONS, DISCUSSIONS, & FILM

Video Work by Gao Shiqiang and Chen Qiulin
October 11, 2009 to January 10, 2010, Orange County Museum of Art

The exhibition pairs video work by contemporary Chinese artists Gao Shiqiang (born in Shandong, 1971) and Chen Qiulin (born in Hubei, 1975), whose artistic visions capture the collision of tradition and modernity in China in distinct ways. Gao Shiqiang’s epic Butterfly Lovers (2006) is a tragic love story that reverberates among three couples across time, and serves as an allegory for the new millennium. Chen Qiulin’s Colour Line (2006) is a sublime meditation on rapid urbanization and development in contemporary China, fusing a documentary format with dreamscape performance. Presented by the Orange County Museum of Art.

Christian Dior Presents the Photography of Quentin Shih
October 15 to November 7, South Coast Plaza, Jewel Court

South Coast Plaza in partnership with Christian Dior will present the U.S. premiere of a capsule exhibition featuring the work of celebrated Beijing-based fashion photographer Quentin Shih (born in China, 1975). This new presentation is developed from last year’s hugely successful Beijing exhibition Christian Dior & Chinese Artists, which reflected a unique collaboration between Dior and some of China’s leading contemporary artists. Presented by South Coast Plaza.

Huntington Library and Gardens Chinese Garden Model Display
October 15 to November 7, South Coast Plaza

South Coast Plaza will display a scale model of the 12-acre classical Chinese garden, Liu Fang Yuan (The Garden of Flowing Fragrance), completed in early 2008 at the Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens. The Garden is currently the largest Chinese garden outside of China open to the public and the scale model will include a never-before seen second phase which the Huntington hopes to build in the near future. Presented by the Huntington Library and South Coast Plaza.

West Coast Premiere of Red Cliff (Chi Bi) and Q&A with Director John Woo
October 15, 8:00 p.m. at Regency South Coast Village Theater

John Woo’s latest epic adventure film Red Cliff was a massive hit in Asia and the most expensive Chinese film ever made. The film reunites the legendary filmmaker with international superstar Tony Leung for the first time since the 1992 classic Hard Boiled. A breathtaking war epic, Red Cliff brings to the screen the legendary tale of the Battle of Red Cliff that took place in 208 AD and was immortalized in the classic Chinese novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms. This visual masterpiece will be followed by a Q&A session with Woo. Presented by the Orange County Film Society.

Ping Pong Diplomacy: The Rematch
October 17 from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and October 18 from noon to 4:00 p.m. at South Coast Plaza, Crate & Barrel/Macy’s Home Store Wing, Level 1

In celebration of the legendary “Ping Pong Diplomacy” that helped President Richard Nixon open relations with China in 1972, South Coast Plaza in collaboration with the Richard Nixon Foundation will host a series of ping pong exhibition matches featuring collegiate athletes, Olympians, and youth participants as well as opportunities for the public to “Challenge a Champ” in competition. To underscore the important role culture plays in Sino-American relations, “Ping Pong Diplomacy: The Rematch” will also feature an exhibit of historic photographs of Richard Nixon’s extraordinary 1972 peace-making journey to China. Presented by the Richard Nixon Foundation and South Coast Plaza.

South Coast Chinese Cultural Association and Irvine Chinese School
October 18 and 24 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. at South Coast Plaza, Carousel Court, Level 1

The South Coast Chinese Cultural Association and Irvine Chinese School, dedicated to preserving Chinese heritage, enrich lives through cultural diversity, and integrate Chinese culture into mainstream society will present traditional ribbon dance, performances on ancient instruments, and demonstrations of Tai Chi and Kung Fu techniques. A booth featuring Chinese cultural crafts will also be open to the public from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on performance days. Presented by the South Coast Chinese Cultural Association/Irvine Chinese School and South Coast Plaza.

Documenting the Global City: Beijing
October 28 at 8:00 p.m. at Regency South Coast Village Theater

Films, including documentaries, have done much to shape American and Chinese perceptions of each other. Beginning in 2006, USC and Beijing’s Communication University of China launched a program to have student filmmakers collaborate in exploring Los Angeles and Beijing. Each summer since then six students from one school have traveled to the other school and spent the summer working with their counterparts to produce short documentaries on Los Angeles and Beijing as global cities. See samples of these films as Professor Mark Jonathan Harris, a three-time Oscar-winner for best documentary film and a Professor at the USC School of Cinematic Arts and students from USC present and comment the work following the screening. Presented by USC/US China Institute and Orange County Film Society.

Panel Discussion: “Designing China”
November 5 at 7:00 p.m., Orange County Museum of Art

The University of California Humanities Research Institute hosted a two-week Seminar in Experimental Critical Theory (SECT) in Shanghai this summer entitled Designing China. A debriefing seminar will take place as part of Ancient Paths, Modern Voices to reflect upon the outcome of the summer institute—focusing on China as a case study where design issues are raised in perhaps their most problematic and provocative form. The panel consists of two noted artists from Beijing in conversation with faculty from the University of California: musician, composer, and novelist Liu Sola of the “Class of 1978”, noted artist Liu Dan, together with Professor Ackbar Abbas of the University of California, Irvine, and Achille Mbembe of the University of California, Irvine/University of Witwatersrand. The panel will be moderated by David Theo Goldberg, Director of the University of Humanities Research Institute. Presented by The University of California Humanities Research Institute.

Play Reading of Adeline Yen Mah’s Falling Leaves
November 17 at 7:30 p.m., Julianne Argyros Stage, South Coast Repertory, Segerstrom Center for the Arts

South Coast Repertory will present a staged reading of Chinese-American author Adeline Yen Mah’s play, Falling Leaves, based on her best-selling book Falling Leaves: The Memoir of an Unwanted Chinese Daughter. Falling Leaves recounts the story of the author’s life in China, England, and America and how she overcame the hardships of her childhood. A compelling, heartrending, and ultimately triumphant story of a girl's journey into adulthood, Adeline's story is a testament to the most basic of human needs: acceptance, love, and understanding. Presented by South Coast Repertory.

From Mao to Mozart: Isaac Stern in China
November 19 at 2:00 p.m., Bowers Museum

The Bowers Museum will present a screening of Academy Award-winning From Mao to Mozart: Isaac Stern in China, a 1980 documentary film about Western culture breaking into China, produced and directed by Murray Lerner. The film captures the renowned violinist and teacher Isaac Stern as the first American musician to collaborate with the China Central Philharmonic Society (now China National Symphony Orchestra), documenting Mr. Stern’s rehearsals and performances of Mozart and Brahms violin concertos with the famous Chinese conductor Li Delun, who also acted as his guide and translator on his trip. The film includes footage of Mr. Stern’s visit to the Central Conservatory of Music, where he lectured to Chinese music students on violin playing and the art of musical expression. Among many talented players, young cellist Jian Wang (at the time only ten years old) is featured briefly. Jian Wang has gone on to international stardom. The screening will take place concurrently with the Bowers’ exhibition Ancient Arts of China: A 5000 Year Legacy. Presented by the Bowers Museum.

Silver Spear
November 22, at 1:30 p.m. at the Bowers Museum

In collaboration with the ChineseAmerican Film Festival, Bowers Museum presents a special screening of Silver Spear, a digital opera film starring Yuan Huiqin, a Peking opera artist, who has combined the traditional art form of Chinese opera with contemporary Hi-Tech film and performance art, providing a visual and musical masterpiece on film.

Ancient Paths, Modern Voices: A Festival Celebrating Chinese Culture is made possible by a leadership gift from Henry R. Kravis in honor of his wife Marie-Josée.

Sponsored, in part, by Deloitte LLP

Additional funding from Roche, Agricultural Bank of China, China Merchants Bank, and Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office, New York.

The Carnegie Hall Neighborhood Concert Series is sponsored by Target.

Ancient Paths, Modern Voices: A Festival Celebrating Chinese Culture in Southern California is presented with the support of South Coast Plaza and The Segerstrom Foundation.

Bank of America is the Proud Season Sponsor of Carnegie Hall.

Ticket Information for Carnegie Hall
For events taking place at Carnegie Hall, tickets are on sale now at the Carnegie Hall Box Office, 154 West 57th Street, or can be charged to major credit cards by calling CarnegieCharge at 212-247-7800, or by visiting the Carnegie Hall website, carnegiehall.org. For festival partner events, please contact the partner for ticket information. For festival partner events, please contact the venue directly.

Festival Passports for events, priced at $10, are now on sale and provide discounts of 15% or more on tickets to nearly every event in this festival. For more information and programming updates, please visit carnegiehall.org/chinafestival.

For Carnegie Hall Corporation presentations taking place in Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage, a limited number of seats, priced at $10, will be available day-of-concert beginning at 11:00 a.m. Monday through Saturday and 12:00 noon on Sunday until one hour before the performance or until supply lasts. The exceptions are Carnegie Hall Family Concerts and gala events. These $10 tickets are available to the general public on a first-come, first-served basis at the Carnegie Hall Box Office only. There is a two-ticket limit per customer.

In addition, for all Carnegie Hall presentations in Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage a limited number of partial view (seats with obstructed or limited sight lines or restricted leg room) will be sold for 50% of the full price. For more information on this and other discount ticket programs, including those for students, Notables members, and Bank of America customers, visit carnegiehall.org/discounts.

Ticket Information for Philharmonic Society
Single tickets for Ancient Paths, Modern Voices concerts in Costa Mesa are on now on sale. For ticket information and programming updates, please visit philharmonicsociety.org.