China’s most acclaimed Fujian Symphony Orchestra makes its Australian debut presenting The Echoes of Hakka Earth Buildings, under the baton of world-class conductor Zheng Xiaoying, at the Melbourne Recital Centre and the Sydney Opera House in November.
Winning the Chinese Musicians’ Association Golden Bell Award, The Echo of Hakka Earth Buildings is a 37-minute symphonic work scored by Liu Yuan. The Hakka are Chinese rural dwellings that were built between the 12th and 20th centuries and are unique in the mountainous areas in south-eastern Fujian, China.
The piece will be performed by over 60 musicians, and features the Hakka people’s history and lives. The work has been performed nationwide in China and internationally with renowned 87-year-old conductor Zheng Xiaoying – who is China’s first female opera and symphony conductor, and is herself from a Hakka family.
Complimenting the program will be three works, led by conductor Gao Song. Sainaim Rhapsody Symphonic Poem was composed based on the music of Uighur Twelve Mukam. Arranged by Chen Lechang, it makes use of various folk songs and dance forms in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region which were strongly influenced by European music style.
Composed by Zhang Shuping, Three Lanes and Seven Alleys in Fuzhou is a masterpiece of exquisite ancient architecture. It is also a place inhabited by historical and cultural celebrities. Composed by Yin Chengzong, Chu Wanghua, Shen Lihong, and Liu Zhuang, the Yellow River Piano Concerto is based on Xian Xinghai’s Yellow River Cantata.
The Echoes of Hakka Earth Buildings
Melbourne Recital Centre, Southbank Boulevard, Southbank
Performance: Monday 7 November 2016
Information and Bookings: www.melbournerecital.com.au
Concert Hall – Sydney Opera House, Bennelong Point
Performance: Monday 14 November 2016
Information and Bookings: www.sydneyoperahouse.com
Image: Zheng Xiaoying will lead the Fujian Symphony Orchestra in The Echo of Hakka Earth Buildings (supplied)