conductor Long Yu
Article by Ka Yee Chan
Photo by Niko
The Celebration of the Year of the Horse continued at the Avery Fisher Hall on Feb. 1, 2014 with New York Philharmonic. It was an honor to have the chance to listen to the third annual Chinese New Year Concert. Especially, this year, the concert presented conductor Long Yu, violinist Cho-Liang Lin, cellist Jian Wang, pianist Yuja Wang, and vocalist Song Zuying. Although this concert is the Celebration of Chinese New Year where Western classical melds with modern Chinese works, the soloists’ goal is to perform the music that everyone will respond to.
conductor Long Yu
The concert started with Tan Dun’s The Triple Resurrection. Tan Dun is a Chinese contemporary classical composer and conductor. He is widely known for his scores for the movies Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and Hero. His works often use instruments constructed from organic materials, such as paper, water and stone. For this concert, Tan Dun’s The Triple Resurrection was joined with three soloists: Yuja Wang, Jian Wang, and Cho-Liang Lin. The musical piece was beautifully performed and definitely boosted up the night.
Yuja Wang
The concert followed by Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, played by Yuja Wang and Orchestra. Yuja Wang is a very young, 26 years old, Chinese classical pianist. She played the piano as if the piano and her were one. Her technique and movement of fingers really captivated many audiences.
Cho-Liang Lin
After Li Huanzhi’s Spring Festival Overture, it was Dvorak’s Romance for Violin and Orchestra in F minor. Cho-Liang Lin played in this piece. Cho-Liang Lin is a Taiwanese American violinist. As he played, the violin sang romantically full of emotions.
Jian Wang
Finally, the last soloist, Jian Wang played Tchaikovsky’s Variations on a Rococo Theme. Jian Wang is a Chinese cellist who based mainly in London and his hometown Shanghai. Jian Wang’s performance displayed a different level of cello; where it could stand alone.
Song Zuying
The concert ended with three Folk Songs, “Little Back-Basket,” “Soaring Song of Miaoling,” and “Flying Song of the Earth,” all sung by Song Zuying. Song was born in Guzhang County, part of Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture of the People’s Republic in China. Other than listening to the beautiful voice, many audiences were amazed by her stunning costume from the Miao ethnicity.
Of course, a well put together concert needs a distinguished conductor, such as Long Yu, the Music Director of the China Philharmonic and the Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra. The concert was both audibly and visually enjoyed by its audiences. Many audiences, as well as the musicians and workers of the hall, dressed in amazing traditional Chinese costumes.
Let’s not stop the Celebration of the Year of the Horse! Join us at, our upcoming event, a Lunar New Year Parade in Atlantic City. For more information please visit: http://www.asianinny.com/?p=37822
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