Back to Press Release List > 10/10/2009 - Ancient Paths, Modern Voices Closes at Carnegie Hall with Long Yu, Lang Lang, and Shanghai Symphony

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.

The festival closes in New York at Carnegie Hall on Tuesday, November 10 at 8:00 p.m. with a performance by the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra—the oldest symphonic ensemble in China—led by its newly appointed Music Director Long Yu in Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage. The program features Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 with guest soloist Lang Lang and Chen Qigang’s Iris dévoilée, a suite from 2001 written for grand orchestra, female voices, and three Chinese instruments.

Additional events at festival partner institutions during the closing week include seven performances by The Han Tang Yuefu Music and Dance Ensemble at the Joyce Theater, screenings of films on U.S.–China cultural exchange at the Paley Center for Media, and a performance by the New Juilliard Ensemble of music by contemporary Chinese composers at Alice Tully Hall. Panel discussions include a conversation at the Asia Society with composer Tan Dun and avant-garde artist Wenda Gu moderated by Asia Society Museum Director Melissa Chiu, a demonstration and discussion with composer and conductor Huang Ruo and pipa player Min Xiao-Fen about the integration of Chinese folk songs into Western music at the China Institute moderated by China Institute Director of Arts and Culture Programs France Pepper, and a panel discussion moderated by Tony Award-winning playwright David Henry Hwang about the evolving cultural identity of Chinese American artists at the Museum of Chinese in America.

Tickets for events at Carnegie Hall are now on sale at the Carnegie Hall Box Office, CarnegieCharge at 212-247-7800, or online at carnegiehall.org. In conjunction with the festival, 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.

Shanghai Symphony Orchestra at Carnegie Hall: November 10

The closing performance of Ancient Paths, Modern Voices features renowned Chinese conductor Long Yu leading the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra on Tuesday, November 10 at 8:00 p.m. in Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall. 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.

Chen Qigang, one of the “Class of 1978” composers from Beijing’s Central Conservatory, was one of the first to leave China to study abroad, moving to Paris where he became the final student of great French composer Olivier Messiaen. Since then he has written several acclaimed works, balancing inspiration from both East and West, and most recently was music director of the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Iris dévoilée (“Iris Unveiled”) was written in 2001 and features nine movements, each dedicated to a different feminine aspect (“Ingenious,” “Tender,” “Voluptuous”).

About his Chinese background and Western training, as embodied in Iris dévoilée, Chen says “Only when I’m in France do I see the Chinese influence on me…A music critic at Le Monde heard my piece Iris dévoilée and called it ‘Chinese.’ But when we did the same piece in Beijing, they said it sounded ‘French.’”

Long Yu, who has conducted many of Chen’s works, was appointed Music Director of the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra earlier this year. He also holds this post with the China Philharmonic and is Artistic Director of the Beijing Music Festival, both organizations that he founded. Founded in 1879, the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra is the oldest symphonic ensemble in China. Though it initially had no Chinese members or audiences, after World War I the orchestra expanded, began to perform for Chinese audiences, and, more significantly, brought in Chinese musicians to perform in its ranks. By 1958, the ensemble was comprised entirely of Chinese citizens. The orchestra has long upheld its mission of promoting cultural exchange through international tours, with repertoire encompassing both Eastern and Western composers.

ANCIENT PATHS, MODERN VOICES PARTNER EVENTS

The Han Tang Yuefu Music and Dance Ensemble: November 3–8

From November 3 through 8 at The Joyce Theater, The Han Tang Yuefu Music and Dance Ensemble give seven performances of The Feast of Han Xizai, which bring the famous, ancient painting of the title to life. The Feast of Han Xizai features sumptuous costumes and sets by Tim Yip (Academy Award-winner for Best Art Direction for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon), with direction by David Jiang and choreography by Ho-wen Hsiao and Mei-o Chen. The story concerns the legendary bon vivant, Han Xizai, who protests corruption by living a decadent lifestyle.

Formed in 1983 by Artistic Director Mei-o Chen, the Taiwan based company recreates the traditional nanguan (“southern winds”) music of ancient Chinese aristocrats (a style that later migrated to Taiwan in the 1600s) and the liyuan dance of the Tang Dynasty, derived from liyuan—or “Pear Orchard”—opera. Reviewing the company’s performance at Lincoln Center Out of Doors in 2003, Jennifer Dunning of The New York Times wrote, “I've always resisted the term spell-binding, but sometimes nothing else will do.” The Ensemble’s purpose is to confirm the major role of nanguan in the history of Chinese music, trace the origins to its earliest sources, and train singers and instrumentalists in the proper art of performing with the goal of energizing the lifeblood of this ancient tradition and rescuing it from the brink of oblivion. Productions of the ensemble are marked by clearly defined scholarly goals, a spirit of in-depth cultural probing, distinctive ethnic characteristics, rich legacies in classical art, and highly polished performance techniques.

Music and Theater: A Universal Language: November 7 and 8

On November 7 and 8, The Paley Center for Media presents Music and Theater: A Universal Language, a series of documentaries about cultural exchange between the United States and China, as well as an award-winning children’s film. Included are:

From Mao to Mozart: Isaac Stern in China (1979)—Director Murray Lerner’s deeply moving Oscar-winning documentary chronicles violinist Isaac Stem on his historic month-long tour of China. Mr. Stern had accepted the government's invitation to attend a rehearsal and give one recital—but instead wound up playing a formal concert, touring two cities, and instructing some of China’s best young musicians in the techniques and traditions of Western music.

CBS Reports: The Boston Symphony Orchestra Goes to China (1979)—This CBS news program documents the Boston Symphony Orchestra's March 1979 tour of China. Highlights include excerpts from works by Tchaikovsky, Gershwin, and Beethoven conducted by Seiji Ozawa, and concertmaster Joseph Silverstein’s meeting with U.S. Ambassador Leonard Woodcock and the recently freed concertmaster of the Peking Symphony.

Our Times with Bill Moyers: Willy Loman Comes to China: Death of a Salesman in Peking (1983)—PBS journalist Bill Moyers travels to Peking to report on Arthur Miller directing the first Chinese production of his play Death of a Salesman. Rehearsals and scenes are shown from the play's Chinese premiere (interspersed with scenes from a legendary American production), and Mr. Moyers interviews Mr. Miller and asks members of the audience their opinions of the drama.

Jacques d’Amboise in China: The Other Side of the World (2008)—Known as the “Pied Piper of Dance,” Jacques d’Amboise began his career as a principal dancer with Balanchine’s New York City Ballet and subsequently founded the National Dance Institute. The institute inspires school children to dance with the goal of gaining self-confidence in the process. The documentary follows Mr. d’Amboise as he travels with a group of NDI students to China, where he directs a cross-cultural ensemble in a magical performance in Shanghai.

Special Family Screening of Mozart in China (2008)—A young Chinese-Austrian boy invites his friend Danny to spend their summer vacation at the house of his grandfather on Hainan Island on the southern tip of China. Adventure ensues as Mozart, a theater marionette, comes alive that night, hides in Danny’s suitcase, and flies with the two to China. 1st Prize Jury Winner of the Chicago International Children’s Film Festival, Mozart in China is a wonderful tale of cultural discovery—of Chinese food, history, customs and life, and the universal nature of friendship.

For complete screening information, including times, please see below. Presented by the Paley Center for Media.

New Juilliard Ensemble at Alice Tully: November 9

This partner event by the New Juilliard Ensemble on November 9 at 8:00 p.m., 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.

Panel Discussions

Chinese Art(s) Today—On Monday, November 2 at 7:00 p.m. at the 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—On Thursday, November 5 at 6:30 p.m. China Institute presents Traditional Chinese Music in the 21st Century with pipa player Min Xiao-Fen and composer and conductor Huang Ruo, moderated by China Institute Director of Arts and Culture Programs France Pepper. The discussion will explore how exciting collaborations among young Chinese musicians—bridging traditional and contemporary, Chinese and Western, and sound and visual multimedia—are setting a new tone in the world of music. Composer Huang Ruo talks about integrating Chinese folk songs into Western orchestral music, and Min Xiao-Fen demonstrates how pipa sounds can be adapted to jazz and blues. Presented by China Institute.

Evolving Cultural Identity of Chinese American Artists—On Friday, November 6 at 7:00 p.m. the Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) presents The Evolving Cultural Identity of Chinese American Artists, a panel discussion moderated by Tony award-winning playwright David Henry Hwang. Mr. Hwang’s discussion will investigate 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.

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.

Ancient Paths, Modern Voices Program Information

Monday, November 2 at 7:00 p.m.
Asia Society (725 Park Avenue)
CHINA FESTIVAL PARTNER EVENT
PANEL DISCUSSION: CHINA ART(S) TODAY
Melissa Chiu, Moderator
Wenda Gu, Panelist
Tan Dun, Panelist
Presented by Asia Society

Tickets: $10 members, $15 non-members (for more information visit tickets.asiasociety.org or call 212- 517-ASIA.)
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Tuesday, November 3 at 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, November 4 at 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, November 5 at 8:00 p.m.
Friday, November 6 at 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, November 7 at 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, November 8 at 2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
The Joyce Theater (175 8th Avenue at 19th Street)
THE HAN TANG YUEFU MUSIC AND DANCE ENSEMBLE
(Special Guest Company of the Festival)

THE FEAST OF HAN XIZAI

Presented by The Joyce Theater.

Tickets: $10, $19, $35, and $49 are available by contacting the Joyce Theater Box Office at 212-242-0800. For more information visit joyce.org.
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Thursday, November 5, 2009 at 6:30 p.m.
China Institute (125 East 65th Street)
CHINA FESTIVAL PARTNER EVENT
TRADITIONAL CHINESE MUSIC IN THE 21ST CENTURY
Min Xiao-Fen, Pipa
Huang Ruo, Composer and Conductor

Presented by China Institute

Tickets: $10 China Institute Member / $15 non-member. For more information, call 212-744-8181 or visit chinainstitute.org
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Friday, November 6 at 7:00 p.m.
Museum of Chinese in America (215 Centre Street)
CHINA FESTIVAL PARTNER EVENT
THE EVOLVING CULTURAL IDENTITY OF CHINESE AMERICAN ARTISTS
David Henry Hwang, Moderator

Presented by the Museum of Chinese in America.

Tickets: $15 (general public); $12 (student and senior); $10 (MOCA member)
Advance registration required. For more information, e-mail education@mocanyc.org, call 212-619-4785, or visit mocanyc.org.
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Saturday, November 7 at 12:00 p.m.
Sunday, November 8 at 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.
The Paley Center for Media (25 West 52 Street, between 5th and 6th Aves.)
CHINA FESTIVAL PARTNER EVENT
MUSIC AND THEATER: A UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE

Saturday, November 7 at 12:00 p.m.
From Mao to Mozart: Isaac Stern in China (1980; 90 minutes)

Sunday, November 8 at 1:00 p.m.
Mozart in China (Special Family Screening) (2008; 91 minutes; in German with English subtitles—and for our youngest audience members, the subtitles will be read aloud by actors!)

Sunday, November 8 at 3:00 p.m.
CBS Reports: The Boston Symphony Orchestra Goes to China (1979; 60 minutes)

Our Times with Bill Moyers: Willy Loman Comes to China: Death of a Salesman in Peking (1983; 25 minutes)

Jacques d’Amboise in China: The Other Side of the World (2008; 35 minutes)

Presented by the Paley Center for Media.

Screenings are free with Paley Center admission; suggested donation for admission $10, $8 seniors and students. For more information call 212-621-6600 Ext. 0 or visit paleycenter.org.
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Monday, November 9 at 8:00 p.m.
Alice Tully Hall
CHINA FESTIVAL PARTNER EVENT
NEW JUILLIARD ENSEMBLE
Joel Sachs, Music Director and Conductor

LI SHAOSHENG Skyline on the Moon (World Premiere)
YE XIAOGANG Nine Horses (World Premiere)
GUO WENJING Concertino for Cello and Chamber Orchestra
JIA DAQUN Three Images from Ink and Wash Painting
LIU SOLA In-Corporeal I
ZHU JIAN-ER Symphony No. 4, Op. 31, for Chinese flute and 22 strings (US premiere)

Presented by The Juilliard School.

Tickets: Free (Available two weeks before the event; for more information visit juilliard.edu.)
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Tuesday, November 10 at 8:00 p.m.
Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage
SHANGHAI SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Long Yu, Music Director and Conductor
Lang Lang, Piano
Xiaoduo Chen, Soprano
Meng Meng, Soprano
Nan Wang, Erhu
Jia Li, Pipa
Xin Sun, Guzheng

SERGEI RACHMANINOFF Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor, Op. 18
CHEN QIGANG Iris dévoilée

This evening's performance is made possible by a leadership gift from Henry R. Kravis in honor of his wife, Marie-Josée.

This performance is sponsored by Agricultural Bank of China.

Presented by Carnegie Hall

Tickets: $36, $43, $55, $74, $99, $109
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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 and Agricultural Bank of China.

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

Ticket Information
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.

Photo Banner Left to Right: conductor Long Yu, The Han Tang Yuefu Music and Dance Ensemble, Film Still From Mao to Mozart: Isaac Stern in China, and pianist Lang Lang.

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