Hosted by the Guangdong Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, and co-hosted by the Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra and Xinghai Concert Hall, the 2022 Guangdong International Youth Music Week (YMCG) has recently come to an end. At the concert, the students of previous YMCG performed Beethoven's Sixth Symphony "Pastoral" under the guidance of conductor Jing Huan, and performed Dvořák's "Ode to the Moon" with Yo-Yo Ma in the form of a video ensemble. From Beethoven's wandering mountains and rivers to Dvořák's song of the moon, the theme of "Man and Nature" is self-evident.
"When I was a child, my parents taught me a poem: The bright moonlight in front of the bed, suspected to be frost on the ground, look up at the bright moon, look down at the hometown. Tonight, I feel a little sad in my heart, because (the concert scene) we are not together, but the heart is together. We find comfort in music, in nature. Although we are far away, our hearts are together. I see the moon, and you see the moon; you perform music, I hear your music. Thank you all and goodbye. ”
Cellist and Artistic Director of Guangdong International Youth Music Week 2017-2022, Yo-Yo Ma,' speech in the video was moving, and it was also his last participation in Guangdong International Youth Music Week as artistic director. He said that he hopes that everyone can explore the commonalities between man and nature in music. At this moment of the concert, the connection between man and nature should be that there are surpluses and deficiencies in the bright moon, and there is metabolism in personnel. Using the "pastoral" symphony metaphor to go through the wind and rain, to see the rainbow; to send love with "Ode to the Moon", thousands of miles of love, far away. I believe that in the future, when we hear the same music again, we will remember today's experience; when we look deeply at the mountains, rivers, grasses and trees, look up at the stars and stars, we will also remember the sounds of nature that we have heard today.
After the performance of "Ode to the Moon", Master Yu Long, a famous conductor and chairman of the Guangdong International Youth Music Week Art Committee, made a video speech: "This is one of my favorite music, which is tear-inducing and touching, and I still remember the scene of playing this work with friends for the first time." Tonight is the last concert collaboration between Youyou and YMCG as artistic director, and it is also a farewell to the audience and young friends. However, "Goodbye" is temporary and ritualistic, and the friend will always be with us, and he will return to YMCG to play with us. ”
Chen Qing, director of the Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra, said in his speech at the closing concert of the Music Week: "The original intention of master conductor Yu Long in founding the Guangdong International Youth Music Week in Guangzhou was to base itself on the Greater Bay Area and look at the world; with music as the medium and young people as the messenger, do a good job of 'Chinese story, world expression'. After years of continuous practice, today's Guangdong International Youth Music Week has become an internationally renowned cultural event, and it is also a promotion of the beautiful value of the community of human destiny. ”
Before the closing concert, the international connection of the music week "Happy Gathering and Talking" arrived as scheduled. Yo-Yo Ma, Long Yu and 2017-2020 YMCG Music Director Michael Stern are once again "online". The meaning of music creation, performance and listening has always been the most important topic for masters and Music Week students. Master Yu Long pointed out that during the global pandemic in the past two years, many people have used music as a spiritual comfort, which is something that many musicians have always wanted to do but have not done, to find a new way of communication for musicians. Musicians, like everyone else, have found their belonging and direction in the plight of the pandemic. During this period, many young musicians played a huge role, they were brave, innovative, and used music to soothe the wounds of people in distress and illuminate the way forward.
Ma Youyou recalled the three huge "changes" he had experienced, he said that in life, there are inevitable ups and downs, but every morning when we wake up, we always have to ask ourselves whether we see hope, which is not only related to personal safety and humiliation, but also whether we can dedicate our strength to others. Isaac Stern believes that attention to people is the first priority. The object of music service, in the final analysis, is also a person, which is the original intention of making music.
Photo by Li Le for Luo Yugang
Text/Beijing Youth Daily reporter Tian Wanting
Editor/Ying Qiao