Singapore, 22 June 2016 (Wednesday) – Singapore Chinese Orchestra (SCO) will feature renowned flutist Dai Ya and huqin doyenne Jiang Ke Mei in Best of Chinese Virtuosos concert. Conducted by SCO Music Director Tsung Yeh, the concert will be held on 29 & 30 July (Friday & Saturday), 8pm at the SCO Concert Hall.
Dizi virtuoso Dai Ya is a professor at the Central Conservatory of Music, the professor mentor for masters students, the head of faculty for folk music woodwind instruments, member of Chinese musicians association, committee member of the professional sheng instrument section of the China Nationalities Orchestra Society and vice president of the Dizi Society. He started learning dizi at the age of seven and was under the tutelage of dizi master Zhao Song Ting. In 1981, he won the Spring of West Lake Dizi competition and enrolled into the Central Conservatory of Music in 1986 and studied under Zeng Yongqing and Liu Guanle. He has performed with numerous symphony orchestras and Chinese orchestras and received high acclaims worldwide. He has also conducted masterclasses at numerous music academies including Royal College of Music in Stockholm, Göteborgs universitet Högskolan för scen & music, Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, Macao Conservatory and Singapore’s National Arts Council. Dai Ya will perform Hao Wei Ya’s Flowers Blooming on the Paths in the Field, showcasing the techniques and the interesting features of dizi. This piece portrays scenes of spring brimming with vitality and won the runner-up prize at the 15th National Music Competition.
Jiang Ke Mei is the honorary chief of the China Broadcasting Chinese Orchestra, Executive Director of Chinese Folk Music Society and visiting professor of Central Conservatory of Music. She graduated from the Shenyang Conservatory of Music High School and went on to train professionally in the performing art of Banhu at the Central Conservatory of Music. She has held concerts in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macau and Japan and a solo concert at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall in 2008. She has collaborated with various orchestras in China and performed at the Opening Ceremony of Beijing 2008 Olympic Cultural Festival. She has recorded and published Beijing Impressions, Chinese Banhu, and Romance of Huqin, among others. In addition, she collaborated with many Chinese media companies and was featured in multiple television shows and movies soundtracks. She has won the second, third and fifth annual “National City Television Gold Award”.
Jiang Ke Mei will perform in banhu, erhu and jinghu. She will play the banhu in the piece Hua Bang Zi, which is adapted from a northern China opera tune with varied rhythm and melodies. She will then play the erhu in the third movement of Qiao’s Grand Courtyard: Love. This piece portrays the bittersweet love story of a Shanxi merchant from the Qing dynasty. Jiang Ke Mei will also perform popular Peking opera tune, Night Thoughts, a classic piece that depicts the love story of the King of Chu and his concubine, Yuji. The piece will be performed on jinghu and paints the image of the graceful moves as Yuji performed the sword dance.
SCO will also perform Liu Wen Jin’s Festive Nights which portrays the jubilant and fanatical atmosphere of a festival. Luo Mai Shuo’s Emperor Yongzheng’s Yinzhen Beauties was inspired by the famous Qing dynasty’s The Twelve Paintings of Yinzhen Beauties. This refreshing piece divides the twelve paintings of Yinzhen Beautiesinto four movements where each movement depicts three of the paintings. The finale of the concert will feature Liu Chang Yuan’s Hope for the Future, a celebrative piece that portrays people’s hope for a better future.
Conductor: Tsung Yeh Dizi: Dai Ya Huqin: Jiang Ke Mei
Concert details:
Best of Chinese Virtuosos
Date: 29 & 30 July 2016 (Friday & Saturday)
Time: 8pm
Venue: SCO Concert Hall
Ticket prices (before SISTIC fees): $70, $60, $45/$30*, $30/$20*
Tickets from SISTIC
*Concession prices
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