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CHINA'S NATIONAL CENTRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS ORCHESTRA
WITH MUSIC DIRECTOR AND CONDUCTOR, L
Ü
JIA,
RETURNS TO THE UNITED STATES FOR A SIX-CITY TOUR
OCTOBER 28 - NOVEMBER 7, 2017
Performances at Major Venues in New York, San Francisco, Philadelphia,
Chicago, Chapel Hill, and Ann Arbor Create a
Unique Cultural Exchange
to Showcase the Dynamic Artistry of
China NCPA Musicians
The China NCPA Orchestra Presents
Three US Premieres by Chinese Composers Zhao Jiping
and Chen Qigang
that will Make a Deep Connection between
Eastern and Western Music
Tour in Celebration of the Centre's 10-year Anniversary
Includes the Orchestra's Debut at Carnegie Hall and
Features Collaborations with Renowned Soloists:
Haochen Zhang, Ning Feng,
Wu Man, and Gautier Capuçon
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
NEW YORK, NY-The
China National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) Orchestra
, considered to
be China's premier ensemble, under the
direction of its Music Director and Conductor,
Lü Jia
, embarks on a
six-city US tour from
October 28-November 7, 2017, in celebration of the Centre's 10
th
anniversary season. Following the ensemble's critically acclaimed North American tour in 2014, this season the China NCPA Orchestra will make stops on both the east and west coasts: Chicago (Symphony Center, October 28), New York (Carnegie Hall, October 30, marking its debut at the prestigious venue), Philadelphia (Kimmel Center, November 1), Chapel Hill (Memorial Hall, November 2), San Francisco (Davies Symphony Hall, November 5), and Ann Arbor (Hill Auditorium, November 7).
The tour programming has been designed to showcase the dynamic artistry of this outstanding young ensemble, highlight its extraordinary dedication to cultural exchange, and further solidify its partnerships with several of the world's leading arts organizations.The repertoire presented on tour will feature three US premieres by two esteemed Chinese composers:
Zhao Jiping and
Chen Qigang. Zhao's Violin Concerto No. 1 will be performed in Chicago and Chapel Hill. Chen Qigang's Concerto for Cello and Orchestra,
Reflect d'un temps disparu, will be performed in Philadelphia and Chapel Hill, and his
Itinér
aire d'une illusion (a co-commission by the China National Centre for the Performing Arts, Carnegie Hall, Philharmonie Zuidnederland, Orchestre national du Capitole de Toulouse and the Philharmonie de Paris) will be performed in New York, San Francisco and Ann Arbor. Other program offerings include Yin Chengzong/
Chu Wanghua's Piano Concerto,
Yellow River, Lou Harrison's Concerto for Pipa and String Orchestra, Brahms' Symphony No. 4, and Sibelius' Symphony No. 2.
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ABOUT THE PROGRAMS
Long-standing relationships with some of today's leading artists is a testament to the remarkable musicians of the China NCPA Orchestra. The ensemble will collaborate with pianist
Haochen Zhang
, violinist
Ning Feng
, cellist
Gautier Capuçon
and pipa player
Wu Man
throughout the tour.
- World-renowned pipa player, Wu Man, has performed with the China NCPA Orchestra in Europe and US. She has been bringing Chinese music and the pipa to mainstream Western audiences for many years. She will perform Lou Harrison's Concerto for Pipa and String Orchestra in celebration of the composer's birth centennial (May 1917). Originally commissioned for Wu Man, she will perform the concerto in Chicago, San Francisco and Ann Arbor..
- The US premiere of Zhao Jiping's Violin Concerto No. 1 will be performed by violinist Ning Feng in Chicago and Chapel Hill. Feng is also a long-time friend and colleague of the China NCPA Orchestra.
- Cellist Gautier Capuçon is a champion of Eastern culture and will perform one of his favorite Chinese works, Reflect d'un temps disparu, by Chen Qigang, in Philadelphia and Chapel Hill.
- Pianist Haochen Zhang will perform Yin Chengzong/Chu Wanghua's Piano Concerto "Yellow River", in New York at the China NCPA Orchestra's long-awaited debut at Carnegie Hall.
US PREMIERES
Zhao Jiping's Violin Concerto No. 1
was commissioned by the China National Centre for the Performing Arts and will receive its US premiere in Chicago at the start of their historic tour on October 28 with an additional performance in Chapel Hill on November 2. Borrowing from traditional European concerto forms, Zhao Jiping's Violin Concerto speaks to all cultures through a Chinese voice.
Zhao Jiping became internationally known as a composer for such 'Fifth-Generation' filmmakers as Chen Kaige, Zhang Yimou, and He Ping. Among his most well-known film scores are those for Raise the Red Lantern (1991), To Live (1993) and Farewell My Concubine (1993). He is also a noted composer for the concert stage. Zhao Jiping was trained at the Xi'an Conservatory of Music, majoring in composition and graduating in 1970. When the Central Conservatory reopened after the Cultural Revolution in 1978, he was accepted there for postgraduate studies. In 2000, he received a commission from Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Project to write a chamber work, Moon over Guan Mountains (scored for pipa, sheng, cello and tabla), which received its premiere at Tanglewood.
Co-commissioned by China's National Centre for the Performing Arts, Carnegie Hall, Philharmonie Zuidnederland, Orchestre national du Capitole de Toulouse and Philharmonie de Paris, Chen Qigang's Itinéraire d'une illusion receives its US premiere in Carnegie Hall on October 30, with additional performances on November 5 in San Francisco and November 7 in Ann Arbor.
Chen Qigang's Reflect d'un temps disparu, Concerto for Cello and Orchestra, will receive its US premiere in Philadelphia on November 1 with an additional performance on November 2 in Chapel Hill. Reflect d'un temps disparu uses the harmonic melody of the guqin song variations on the Plum Blossom, very familiar to Chinese audiences. The beginning theme is played by a solo cello, performed by Gautier Capuçon for this tour, with flute and oboe accompaniment.The title captures the composer's imagination and expresses nostalgia for the past with reminiscences of nature, tranquility and innocence.
Qigang Chen studied at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing under Luo Zhongrong. Moving to France in 1984, he furthered his studies, becoming the last student of Olivier Messiaen. For the past three decades, Chen's music has been performed around the world winning many accolades. The Masterprize Award, hosted by the BBC, selected his orchestral work Wu Xing as a finalist selected from more than 1000 entries. In 2003, EMI/Virgin Classics released an album devoted to his music which was voted by Gramophone magazine as one of the Top Ten Classical Recordings of the Month. By 2005, he received the Grand Prix de la Musique, was appointed Music Director for the opening 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, and accepted the Rossini Award from the Academie des Beaux Arts de l'Institut de France. In 2013, he was decorated with Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French government and two years later, he launched a composition workshop at Gonggeng College in Zhejiang Province, as a platform for for young musicians
ABOUT THE ORCHESTRA
China NCPA Orchestra
is the resident orchestra of the National Centre for the Performing Arts, Beijing. Established in March 2010, the orchestra performs in more than a dozen opera productions presented by its home venue every year as well as in regular orchestral concerts in its own season. Today's preeminent artists have performed with the orchestra, and have long-standing relationships with the ensemble, which stands as a testament to their respected and critically-acclaimed artistry. The China NCPA has also appeared internationally, receiving widespread praise for their programs throughout major venues in Sydney, Singapore, Seoul, Daegu, Abu Dhabi, Taipei and Macau, among many others.
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ABOUT THE MUSIC DIRECTOR & CONDUCTOR
Lü Jia is the Music Director and Chief Conductor of the China NCPA Orchestra as well as Music Director and Chief Conductor of the Macao Orchestra. In the past, he has served as Music Director of Verona Opera in Italy and Artistic Director of the Santa Cruz De Tenerife
Symphony Orchestra in Spain. He has conducted nearly 2000 orchestral concerts and opera performances in Europe and the United States. A highly acclaimed opera conductor, Lü Jia has led over fifty productions internationally and is the recipient of several prestigious Italian opera prizes.
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ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Haochen Zhang,
Piano |
Wu Man,
Pipa |
Gautier Capuçon,
Cello |
Ning Feng,
Violin |
Since winning the gold medal at the 2009 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, 27-year-old Chinese pianist
Haochen Zhang
- appearing with the
China NCPA Orchestra on October 30 (New York/Carnegie Hall) - has captivated audiences in the United States, Europe, and Asia with a unique combination of deep musical sensitivity, fearless imagination, and spectacular virtuosity. In 2017, Haochen received the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant, which recognizes the potential for a major career in music.
Wu Man -
appearing with the China NCPA Orchestra on October 28 (Chicago/ Symphony Center), November 5 (San Francisco/Davies Symphony Hall) and November 7 (Hill Auditorium/Ann Arbor) - is one of today's leading pipa players and composers.
Gautier Capuçon
- appearing with the China NCPA Orchestra on November 1 (Philadelphia/ Kimmel Center) and on November 2 (Chapel Hill/Memorial Hall) - is a true 21st century ambassador for the cello.
Considered to be one of China's most preeminent musicians, violinist
- appearing with the China NCPA Orchestra on October 28 (Chicago/Symphony Center), November 1 (Philadelphia/Kimmel Center) and November 2 (Chapel Hill/Memorial Hall) - performs regularly in his native country with major international and local orchestras and in recital with the Dragon Quartet, which he founded in 2012.
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China NCPA Orchestra - 2017 US Tour
CHICAGO, IL
Saturday, Oct. 28, 8:00PM
Symphony Center
China NCPA Orchestra
Lü Jia, Music Director
Wu Man, pipa
Ning Feng, violin
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Zhao Jiping
Lou Harrison
Johannes Brahms
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Violin Concerto No. 1 (US Premiere)
Concerto for Pipa and String Orchestra
Symphony No. 4 in E minor, Op. 98
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NEW YORK, NY
Monday, Oct. 30, 8:00PM
Carnegie Hall
Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage
China NCPA Orchestra
Lü Jia, Music Director
Haochen Zhang, piano
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Chen Qigang
Yin Chengzong/Chu Wanghua
Jean Sibelius
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Itinéraire d'une illusion
(US Premiere)
Piano Concerto "
Yellow River
"
Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 43
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PHILADELPHIA, PA
Wednesday, Nov. 1, 7:30PM
Verizon Hall, Kimmel Center
China NCPA Orchestra
Lü Jia, Music Director
Ning Feng, violin
Gautier Capuçon, cello
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Zhao Jiping
Chen Qigang
Johannes Brahms
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Reflect d'un temps disparu,
Concerto for Cello and Orchestra
Symphony No. 4 in E minor, Op. 98
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CHAPEL HILL, NC
Thursday, Nov. 2, 7:30PM
Memorial Hall
University of North Carolina
China NCPA Orchestra
Lü Jia, Music Director
Ning Feng, violin
Gautier Capuçon, cello
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Violin Concerto No. 1
Reflect d'un temps disparu,
Concerto for Cello and Orchestra
Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 43
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SAN FRANCISCO, CA
Sunday, Nov. 5, 8:00PM
Davies Symphony Hall
China NCPA Orchestra
Wu Man, pipa
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Chen Qigang
Lou Harrison
Johannes Brahms
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Itinéraire d'une illusion
Concerto for Pipa and String Orchestra
Symphony No. 4, in E minor, Op. 98
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ANN ARBOR, MI
Hill Auditorium
University of Michigan
China NCPA Orchestra
Lü Jia, Music Director
Wu Man, pipa
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Chen Qigang
Lou Harrison
Johannes Brahms
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Itinéraire d'une illusion
Concerto for Pipa and String Orchestra
Symphony No. 4 in E minor, Op. 98
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CHINA NCPA ORCHESTRA PRESS LINKS & INFO
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US Media
Milina Barry PR
212.420.0200
Chinese Media
Wei Zhou
Weiber Consulting Inc.
212.757.8610
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