The third "Sound of Spring" Chinese New Year Concert was held at Lincoln Center in the United States

Source: Overseas Network

Overseas Network January 31 - The third "The Sound of Spring" Chinese New Year Concert of the Bard American-Chinese Music Academy was successfully held on the 28th and 30th at the Fisher Center for the Performing Arts at Bard College and the Jazz Center at Lincoln Center.

This year's "Sound of Spring" allows New York audiences to return to the scene for two years to feel the strong New Year's flavor, from instrumental concerto to song skewers, bringing the original and most Chinese pure Chinese New Year concert to New York audiences. The concert was conducted by Cai Jindong, president of the Academy, and solo artists such as vocal music, Peking Opera, pipa, pipes, sirens, and pianos shared the stage with The Orchestra Now to perform Chinese musical works. The piano concerto of "Yellow River" is magnificent and magnificent, the concerto of "Hundred Birds and Phoenixes" is exquisite, the Beijing song "Ode to pear blossoms" tells The allusion of Yang Guifei, and the classic song "White Haired Girl" excerpts, "The Moon Represents My Heart", "The Sea Ya Hometown" and so on sing the warm memories in the hearts of the Chinese.

Cai Jindong, president of the academy, said, "The second 'Sound of Spring' can only be held online, and this third concert can finally celebrate the Chinese New Year with everyone in the concert hall." We hope to showcase Chinese music while reflecting the fusion of Chinese and Western musical styles, especially the fusion of traditional instrumental solos and Western symphony orchestras. I hope that through this unique 'Chinese style' concert, I will bring the audience heartfelt comfort and good wishes, so that everyone can greet the Tiger Mega Year in the hometown music and the melody of the New Year. ”

After the concert began with Li Huanzhi's "Spring Festival Overture", the Beijing song "Ode to the Pear Blossom" was told. "Ode to the Pear Blossom" is selected from the newly compiled historical Peking Opera "Tang Guifei", peking opera performance artist Song Feihong, dressed in a full set of traditional Peking opera costumes and makeup, accompanied by the Bud Contemporary Orchestra, interpreting the love story between Tang Minghuang and Yang Guifei. The combination of Western symphony orchestras and Peking Opera singing voices, the new form of interpretation of traditional Chinese art, is refreshing.

In addition to the Beijing song, the first half of the concert also includes the "Yellow River Hauler" pipe concerto and the "Yellow River" piano concerto to pay tribute to the "mother river" of Chinese children, the Yellow River. Pipe performance artist Guo Yazhi and the orchestra performed the pipe concerto "Yellow River Hauler", and the solo instrument pipe contrasted with the Western symphony orchestra, depicting the Yellow River as a surging and life-giving natural force. Guo Yazhi is a Chinese wind musician with more than 20 years of acting experience, and was the principal of the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra.

The piano concerto "Yellow River", the finale of the first half, is one of the well-known Chinese symphony pieces, which was adapted by several composers based on Xian Xinghai's "Yellow River Chorus". The song flows with the power of the Yellow River and has inspired generations of Chinese to work hard for nearly half a century. At the concert, young pianist Ju Xiaofu and the orchestra performed this magnificent piece. Ju Xiaofu has won the Double Gold Medal in the 8th Asian Piano Finals (Kuala Lumpur) and the grand prize in many international competitions. Since his first piano concerto with the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra at the age of 14, he has performed with the Belgian Eu Symphony Orchestra, the Vienna Festival Symphony Orchestra, the Austrian Classical Symphony Orchestra, and the China Philharmonic Orchestra. He is a "piano-in-residence" member of the Jiangsu Symphony Orchestra, the Hong Kong Youth Philharmonic Orchestra and the Nanjing University Symphony Orchestra. World-renowned piano master Jo rg Demus described Ju as "a pianist with extraordinary talent and natural depth".

The second half of the concert opened with the pipa concerto by composer and pipa player Zhao Cong's new work "Silk Road Flying Heaven", which was inspired by Dunhuang murals and combines a variety of pipa playing techniques, reflecting the full expressiveness of this Chinese instrument. At the concert, New York pipa player Zhou Yi performed the song with the orchestra. The Washington Post described Zhou Yi's performance as "exciting." As a guest soloist for concerts, she has collaborated with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, performed in their youth concerts, and has also performed with orchestras such as the Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra.

The concert was further heated up by Guo Yazhi's vivid interpretation of The Famous Song of Oh Na, "A Hundred Birds and a Phoenix". The song was composed by ren tongxiang, the master of the song, forming a modern interpretation of the orchestra, and was later further adapted by the composer Guan Xia. The lively melodies and unique playing techniques in the repertoire depict the ever-changing landscape, with an emphasis on the birds' songs. The work is composed of several parts, named Crying Dawn and Spring Return to the Earth, etc., imitating the sounds of various birds. Each part is cleverly combined, and different emotions are interacted to form a masterpiece.

The last part of the concert, which features a number of well-known Chinese songs, opens with the Peking Opera-style song "Song West Lake" created by Peking Opera performance artist Song Feihong herself, who sang and created calligraphy on the spot, ushering in a round of applause. Soprano Esther Maureen Kelly and baritone José Rubio sang excerpts from "Homeland the Sea", "The Moon Represents My Heart" and "The White-Haired Girl" in Chinese. The concert ended with the song "From Jasmine to Turandot", which highlights the collision of Eastern and Western cultures between the Jiangsu folk song "Jasmine" and Puccini's "Opera Version of Jasmine".

Both concerts won warm applause and high praise from the audience, and the most touching thing was that many of the audiences burst into tears when the familiar tune sounded. Ms. Xu from Upstate, New York, said: "The performance is wonderful, from the "Spring Festival Overture" sounded, the emotions fluctuated with the melody and memory... Or because of the familiar melody since childhood, I was tearful or I couldn't help but laugh out loud because of the master pipe master's amazing performance. Thanks to the organizers for leading the musicians to present such a high-level concert of East and West! In addition to the wonderful performances of Chinese musicians, Western musicians' interpretations of Chinese music are also great! Whether it is the wonderful performance or singing of Eastern melodies by Western musicians on stage, or the enthusiastic response of american audiences to the performance, it makes people feel that music is the universal language, transcending borders and races. In Shangzhou, far from the city, on the occasion of the Year of the Tiger, I feel fortunate to hear such a concert. Netizen Zhenou said: "The culture and art of the Chinese nation are increasingly promoted in the Western world, and the efforts and outstanding achievements of people with lofty ideals to explore the perfect integration of Chinese and Western music are the pride of the descendants of Huang Yan in China." Christina, an American audience member, commented: "Inspiring and hopeful concerts, very well-choreographed, humble but reflecting outstanding craftsmanship." (Zhang Wuke)