Back to Press Release List > 09/24/2009 - Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra Carnegie Hall Debut 10/30 in “Ancient Paths, Modern Voices” Festival

From October 21 to November 10, 2009, 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 throughout the city at New York partner institutions.

On Friday, October 30 at 8:00 p.m. the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra makes its Carnegie Hall debut in Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage, led by Artistic Director and Principal Conductor Yan Huichang. One of the world’s leading symphonic ensembles of Chinese instruments, the 85-member orchestra performs four works by contemporary Chinese composers: Zhao Jiping’s Zhuang Zhou’s Dream with cellist Trey Lee, Law Wing-Fai’s Flowing Phantasm, Guo Wejing’s Three Melodies of West Yunnan, and Cheng Dazhao’s The Yellow River Capriccio, a piece calling for audience participation with small Chinese drums distributed beforehand.

Prior to its Carnegie Hall performance, the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra will give two free Chinese instrument demonstrations as part of Carnegie Hall’s Neighborhood Concert Series, on Wednesday, October 28 at 10:30 a.m. at Flushing Town Hall in Queens, and on Thursday, October 29 at 4:00 p.m. at University Settlement at the Houston Street Center in Manhattan. Presented by Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute, these workshops are led by Resident Conductor Chew Hee-chiat. The audience is invited to stay afterwards for a chance to try the instruments.

The modern Chinese orchestra, the history of which dates back only to the 1950s, is grouped, in a Western manner, into four sections:

Bowed strings, from high to low pitch: gaohu, erhu, and zhonghu
Plucked strings: zheng (zither), pipa (pear-shaped, four-string), ruan (round, four-string), and yangqin (similar to a hammered dulcimer)
Winds: dizi (bamboo flutes), sheng (mouth organ), and suona (double-reed pipe with large bell)
Percussion: luo (gongs), gu (skin drums), bo (cymbals), bianzhong (bells), as well as various wood clappers and blocks

Many instruments are further divided, like Western instruments, by pitch range and incorporate both traditional and modern designs. The orchestra can perform arrangements of traditional music as well as new works, with many works written specifically for the ensemble. For more information on Chinese orchestras, visit carnegiehall.org/chinafestival.

Tickets are on sale now at the Carnegie Hall Box Office, CarnegieCharge at 212-247-7800, or online at carnegiehall.org. In conjunction with Ancient Paths, Modern Voices, Carnegie Hall has launched a special web site: carnegiehall.org/chinafestival. This online companion features the most up-to-date information on festival events, video interviews and performance excerpts from featured artists, and insights into Chinese culture and festival programs.

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.

About the Program
Zhao Jiping’s Zhuang Zhou's Dream (2008) is a cello concerto inspired by the famous “butterfly dream” of fourth century BCE Daoist philosopher Zhuang Zhou, who later wrote, that he “didn't know if he was Zhuang Zhou who had dreamt he was a butterfly, or a butterfly dreaming he was Zhuang Zhou.” Composer Zhao Jiping is known in the West for his scores of several Chinese films, including Farewell My Concubine, Raise the Red Lantern, and Ju Dou. Two of his symphonic works were premiered by the Berliner Philharmoniker in 2000, and his chamber piece Moon Over Guan Mountains was previously performed at Carnegie Hall by Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble, which commissioned the work.

Law Wing-Fai’s Flowing Phantasm (2008) is a work inspired by Law’s childhood memories of rides on the Hong Kong Star Ferry and his fascination with the neon lights of the city as they reflect and glitter on the surface of the ocean. With the piece, the composer sought to “create sound effects of controlled diversity in flying rhythmic patterns” through various combinations of instruments. Law has represented Hong Kong at numerous international events, including the International Society for Contemporary Music and the International Rostrum of Composers. He is currently composer-in-residence at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, where he has been Head of Composition for many years and a faculty member since 1984.

Guo Wenjing’s Three Melodies of West Yunnan (1993/2008) was inspired by the folk music and customs of the Va and Jino tribes and other peoples of the Yunnan province in southeastern China. Though the first two movements were premiered by the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra in 1994, the third and final movement was finished in the past year. The work is divided into three movements: A Va Mountain, Jino Dance, and Sacrifice–Torches–Potent Liquors. Guo—one composer in the festival’s focus on the “Class of 1978”—studied at Beijing’s Central Conservatory of Music, where today he is a composition professor. His music has been performed at festivals in Edinburgh, Paris, Holland, and New York, as well as at theaters in London, Frankfurt, and Rouen. Previously, he was invited to the United States as a visiting scholar by the Asian Cultural Council and has lectured at the Manhattan School of Music and the Swedish Royal Institute of Music, among other locations.

Cheng Dazhao’s The Yellow River Capriccio (2004) reflects the many facets of life along the Yellow River, which originates in western China, flows through nine provinces, before emptying into the Bohai Sea. Small Chinese drums will be distributed prior to the concert so the audience may play along with the orchestra during the performance of this well known work. Cheng is a prolific composer with an oeuvre including symphonies for Western orchestras, over 40 works for Chinese orchestra, and scores for more than 30 feature films and 40 television programs.

To watch video excerpts of the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra performing Cheng Dazhao's Yellow River Capriccio and Zhao Jiping's Monk Jianzhen Sailing Eastward visit carnegiehall.org/chinafestival.

About the Artists
Cellist Trey Lee has been hailed “a miracle” by Gramophone and “a master of subtle transition” by The Strad. In the coming season, Mr. Lee will perform with the China National Symphony Orchestra at Beijing's National Center for Performing Arts, with the Israel Symphony Orchestra, Lubech Philharmonic Orchestra, Neubrandenburg Philharmonic, and the Samobor Festival Chamber Orchestra of Croatia. Previously, he has worked with esteemed conductors and composers such as Bright Sheng, Osmo Vänskä, Jun Märkl, and Paul Daniel. Mr. Lee has appeared with major orchestras across Europe and Asia, including the Helsinki Philharmonic, Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra, Hong Kong Philharmonic, Finnish Radio Orchestra, Würzburg Symphony, and the Zagreb Soloists. In 2007, he was invited by the Hong Kong SAR government to perform at its historic 10th Anniversary Handover to China celebrations with the China National Philharmonic under Maestro Long Yu. As an innovative artist constantly striving for new ideas and challenges, Mr. Lee is pioneering the effort to promote chamber music in Greater China, and has spearheaded the first annual Hong Kong International Chamber Music Festival.

Yan Huichang was appointed Music Director of the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra in June 1997 and was involved in the development of the Orchestra through its incorporation and in preparations for its Silver Jubilee season. Mr. Yan was awarded the “Cultural Medallion” (Music) by the National Arts Council of Singapore in 2001. In 2003 he was named Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra, and the following year was awarded a Bronze Bauhinia Star by the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in recognition of his remarkable achievements in Chinese music as well as his efforts in promoting Chinese music. After graduating from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music in 1983, he was appointed Principal Conductor and Artistic Director of the Chinese National Orchestra of China. As a conductor who has worked with professional Chinese orchestras in Beijing, Shanghai, Taiwan, Singapore, and Hong Kong, Mr. Yan has won the acclaim of the music critics in China and abroad for his artistic and conducting talents. Apart from conducting, Mr. Yan is also active as a composer.

The Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra was founded in 1977 and is the only professional, full-sized Chinese orchestra in Hong Kong. The Orchestra is deeply rooted in the Chinese cultural heritage. Its performance format and repertoire include both traditional Chinese music and contemporary full-scale works. It also explores new frontiers in music through the commissioning of new works of various types and styles and over the years has commissioned more than 1,700 original compositions and arrangements. To bring Chinese music to the people of Hong Kong, the Orchestra performs more than 100 concerts every year, as well as at festivals such as the Hong Kong Huqin Festival, the Hong Kong Drum Festival, and the Hong Kong Dizi and Xiao Festival. As a Cultural Ambassador of Hong Kong, the Orchestra has been invited to perform at various famous venues throughout the world and at international festivals. It has performed in Australia, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, mainland China, Taiwan, Macao, Canada, the United States, Holland, Austria, Germany, England, France, Czech Republic, New Zealand, and Ireland.

Ancient Paths, Modern Voices
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 Chen Qigang, Tan Dun, and Angel Lam. 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 and The Performance Project @ University Settlement on Manhattan’s Lower East Side.

Program Information
Wednesday, October 28 at 10:30 a.m.
Flushing Town Hall (137-35 Northern Boulevard, Queens)
CARNEGIE HALL NEIGHBORHOOD CONCERT: CHINESE INSTRUMENT WORKSHOP
Members of the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra
Chew Hee-chiat, Resident Conductor

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 workshop, led by Resident Conductor Chew Hee-chiat, includes talk and demonstration of bowed, plucked, wind, and percussion instruments from the orchestra. Stay afterwards for a chance to try the instruments.

Sponsored by Target

Tickets: Free (Seating is limited. For additional information call 718-463-7700 x222)
______________________________________

Thursday, October 29 at 4:00 p.m.
University Settlement at the Houston Street Center (273 Bowery, Manhattan)
CARNEGIE HALL NEIGHBORHOOD CONCERT: CHINESE INSTRUMENT WORKSHOP
Members of the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra
Chew Hee-chiat, Resident Conductor

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 workshop, led by Resident Conductor Chew Hee-chiat, includes talk and demonstration of bowed, plucked, wind, and percussion instruments from the orchestra. Stay afterwards for a chance to try the instruments.

Sponsored by Target

Tickets: Free (RSVP Required. For more information, call 212-475-5008)
______________________________________

Friday, October 30 at 8:00 p.m.
Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage
HONG KONG CHINESE ORCHESTRA
Yan Huichang, Artistic Director and Principal Conductor
Trey Lee, Cello

LAW WING-FAI Flowing Phantasm
GUO WENJING Three Melodies of West Yunnan
ZHAO JIPING Zhuang Zhou's Dream
CHENG DAZHAO The Yellow River Capriccio

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.

Presented by the Ministry of Culture of the People's Republic of China in partnership with Carnegie Hall.

This performance is sponsored by the Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office, New York.
______________________________________

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, China Merchants Bank, and Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office, New York

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

Ticket Information
Tickets for the October 30 concert at Carnegie Hall concert are priced at $28, $33, $41, $54, $72, and $79 are available 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 ticket information about the Neighborhood Concerts, please contact each venue directly.

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.

###
Image from top of release: Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra; Photo by Gothic Heart