Since joining the Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra in 1990, Zhang Yi, deputy director and principal of the orchestra, has been practicing for more than 30 years. In the past years, he used a piano and a bow to interpret a large number of Chinese and foreign classic works. This year is the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, a hundred years of fragrant years, playing classic praise, Zhang Yi will be in this concert, through a classic repertoire to pay tribute to the centenary of the founding of the party, to pay tribute to the classics.
The concert was guided by the Propaganda Department of the CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee, hosted by the Department of Culture and Tourism of Guangdong Province, and co-performed by Jing Huan, the permanent conductor of the Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra, and Zhang Yi performed Pachbel's "Cannon in D major", Vivaldi's "Spring" in "Four Seasons", Mozart's opera "Tito's Kindness" overture and "Violin Concerto No. 3 in G major" and Beethoven's "Violin Romance in F major". Audiences can also enjoy the first time that Chen Qing, the head of the Canton Symphony Orchestra who has been the chief of the Oboe Part of the Canton Symphony Orchestra for 17 years, and Zhang Yi, as a double soloist, perform Bach's "Violin and Oboe Concerto" (fragment) with the orchestra.
Zhang Yi, Principal of the Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra
Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra Leader Chen Qing
The concert program is a classic masterpiece that has been precipitated by the baptism of time, carefully selected by Zhang Yi in the works of the classical period, most of which are his first performances with the orchestra. Among them, Beethoven's "Violin Romance in F major" was performed by the Band of Pendretsky on March 12, 2005, and it was Zhang Yi who played as a violin soloist at that time, and the performance was widely praised. Concerts are now on sale at huimin ticket prices.
Years of tempering, courage to take on heavy responsibilities
In 1990, 23-year-old Zhang Yi graduated from the Orchestra Department of Xinghai Conservatory of Music, dreamed of finding a job in the Symphony Orchestra, and applied for the Guangzhou Orchestra (formerly known as the Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra) became the first choice. After layers of screening, Zhang Yi entered the Guangzhou Orchestra as he wished. Two years later, in 1993, the Guangzhou Orchestra held its first New Year's concert, the first time it came into contact with this form, and Zhang Yi felt that this kind of lively and ritualistic concert was very novel. Since then, he has participated in every subsequent Guangzhou New Year Concert and will continue to serve as the orchestra principal in 2022 to witness the arrival of the 30th Guangzhou New Year Concert.
1993 Guangzhou New Year Concert
In 1997, the Guangzhou Orchestra launched a professional reform at the pace of the Central Orchestra, breaking the tradition of seniority ranking in the domestic literary and art academies with the "curtain examination", and arranging seats according to the professional level of musicians. Zhang Yi, who has been with the orchestra for seven years, seized the opportunity to show himself. He also remembered the scene of the examination at that time: "The chief conductor at that time, Ye Zhenshi, served as the chairman of the evaluation committee, the conductors Han Zhongjie and Huang Feili, the performers Chen Yun and Fan Ding, and foreign experts Anthony Camden, Joe Kirtley and other senior musicians as judges, and the musicians were on both sides of the curtain, and the judges judged their business level entirely based on the music played by the music players.
The scene of the 1997 orchestra curtain examination
In addition to the original more than 60 people in the orchestra, more than 30 musicians from Guangzhou, Beijing, Shanghai, Wuhan and even overseas took the exam. The orchestra chief examines not only solo fragments of concertos and symphonies, but also the extremely difficult sight performances and basic skills such as bow drawing. Some people are so nervous that they can't pull out the sound of standing exams and have to sit down. It can be seen that the orchestra has made great determination in order to embark on a truly professional path. After several rounds of examinations, Zhang Yi, who was only 30 years old, was awarded the position of concertmaster. The orchestra's full trust and strong support for young musicians made Zhang Yi feel the heavy responsibility on his shoulders in addition to his surprise.
Yu Qiheng, then the head of the regiment, Ye Yongshi, the chief conductor at the time, and the first batch of voice chiefs after the curtain examination
Zhang Yi and Ye Yongshi conducted the regimental commander And Yu Qizheng
On August 16, 1997, Zhang Yi performed his first concert as concert principal
In May 1998, the Guangzhou Orchestra launched its first season. Since then, the orchestra has truly embarked on a professional path, and the program planning has become more planned. Especially after Yu Long became music director in 2003, more and more top music masters who could only be heard in records came to the Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra. Zhang Yi, who sits in the concertmaster position, not only serves as a bridge between the guest musician and the orchestra to convey the intentions of the musicians, but also receives many "benefits" - observing the violin master's every move from an arm's length, Perlman, Anne Sophie-Mutte, Du Mei, etc., all of which make him eagerly absorb the playing skills and understanding of music.
Zhang Yi and Yu Long
Perlman (right)
In October of the same year, the orchestra performed for the first time live opera, on the stage of the first Beijing International Music Festival. As the new chief, Zhang Yi could not help but feel a little nervous. What made him nervous was not because of the technical difficulty, but the sense of honor of going in and out with the orchestra, which made him think more than others. If the orchestra hadn't performed well enough at the time, it might not have moved towards a broad future. He led the orchestra to the unanimous recognition of the mainstream media in Beijing, and this year is the tenth time the orchestra has participated in the festival, and he has been present every time. Zhang Yi believes: "Every time I participate in the Beijing International Music Festival, the orchestra is prepared as a very important program in the music season, after all, it is a competition with domestic and even international famous groups. From the first nervousness to the tenth time, it is the embodiment of the rapid development of the orchestra. ”
At the first Beijing International Music Festival in 1998, the orchestra accompanied the opera "Artist's Career"
Group photo of Zhang Yi and Orchestra Music Director Long Yu at the festival
Orchestra rehearsal of "Artist's Career"
On October 13, 2021, Zhang Yi and the orchestra attended the Beijing International Music Festival (BMF) stage for ten times to perform the "Romeo and Juliet" ballet film symphony concert
Hand in hand, Canton Trade to the world
In the past thirty years, Zhang Yi has witnessed every leap of the orchestra, and the overseas tour with the whole troupe has never fallen. As the only orchestra in China that has toured five continents in China, the Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra has performed 62 concerts in 23 countries and 48 cities. He was most impressed by the first concert in Fukuoka, Japan, in 1999 with the orchestra's three concertmasters, which was a concert at the Musikverein in Vienna, Austria: "In order to take this dream stage for classical music practitioners, the whole orchestra prepared very carefully and the live effect was very good. The tour visited four concert halls in a short period of time and also tested the professional management level of the musicians and administrative teams of the Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra. The live concert record "Golden Echo", recorded by German Radio, has become a cherished memory for musicians and fans. ”
In 1999, Zhang Yi went to Fukuoka, Japan for the first time with the orchestra's three concertmasters
In 2001, the Canton Exchange made its first European tour fan group
In her opinion, Zhang Yi is calm and introverted, the repertoire of the repertoire is a reassuring presence for young conductors: "He will support you with his rich experience and long-term tacit understanding with the orchestra, grow up with you, and provide subtle help in his work." ”
From 1985 to 1990, Chen Qing, who studied together at the Affiliated Middle School of Xinghai Conservatory of Music and the Orchestra Department of the University, and has worked with the Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra for nearly 30 years from 1992 to the present, said: "My old classmate is a typical learning talent. After knowing him for so many years, he has been constantly improving on the professional road. It can be said that when he sits in the position of the chief of canton, no matter how important the performance occasion, or how difficult and complex the performance is, everyone will be very relieved. This is the chief temperament like the 'DingHai God Needle', the wind of the general. ”
Zhang Yi and Chen Qing (photo in 2019)
From the professional reform of the Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra, it has witnessed the development of the orchestra for 25 music seasons, the leap of the nearly 30 Guangzhou New Year Concerts, and will usher in the 65th anniversary of the establishment of the orchestra together with the orchestra... As he grew older, Zhang Yi went from being the concertmaster to the deputy director, and together with two young violinists, Peng Ke (orchestra principal) and Wu Bo (co-principal of the orchestra), led the orchestra to present more wonderful performances to the audience on the stage, which is the inheritance of the "principal" skill.
On December 16, 2019, in the performance of music director Yu Long under the baton of Canton, Zhang Yi played on the same stage with Peng Ke and Wu Bo
The music fans in the audience praised Zhang Yi, and Zhu Zhiyuan shared: "When I mention Teacher Zhang Yi, the first thing that comes to mind is his calm expression on stage and the bright smile offstage. His piano is rich and sweet, full of emotion, and he can also master the musical styles that span a wide range of styles. Although in recent years, because of his appointment as the deputy head of the Canton Symphony Committee, the opportunity to perform solo has decreased, but once there is such an opportunity, his performance must be amazing.
In "The Hero's Career" at the closing concert of the 2014/2015 season, his solo is sometimes thick, sometimes sweet, sometimes affectionate and sarcastic, and the images of the two characters of 'hero' and 'wife' in the work jumped into the minds of the audience. Wang Jianwei, an old music fan who has been watching the Guangzhou New Year Concert every year since 1993, said: "Zhang Yi's recorded "Love Strings" has been placed on the car for a long time, and the beautiful and sweet sound quality and wide range melody in this work are slowly broadcast, accompanying me in the long-distance drive. I remember Zhang Yi mentioning when he attended the event in Dongguan, 'If others work hard, you will work harder than others', which left a deep impression on me and constantly inspired me. Zhang Yi also holds many positions, but his only identity in the hearts of our fans is that of the principal of the Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra. ”
As music critic Zhai Jia said, "Zhang Yiren is as famous as his name, Zhang Is relaxed, and Hongyi is generous." Amiable offstage, respectable on stage. In the past thirty years, we as spectators have witnessed his dignity, pattern and dedication as the principal of the Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra, as well as his loyalty, humility and profundity as an outstanding musician. Zi Yue: 'Wei Le cannot be false', Zhang Yi is the best proof. His music is the most beautiful embodiment of his character, quality and feelings. ”
30 years of burning love, condensed in 90 minutes of music, shared with fans
Performance Details:
Tribute to the classic - Zhang Yi violin solo concert
Venue: Symphony Recital Hall