CONTENT COURTESY AUSFENG
East Meets West Orchestral Evening will present a unique blend of music from China and beyond. This is a stellar opportunity for audiences in Canberra, Sydney, Brisbane, and Adelaide to hear some of Australia’s finest musicians perform Butterfly Lovers Violin Concerto and Yellow River Piano Concerto, two hugely popular Chinese classics, rarely performed live on Australian stages, touring late June to September 2021.
Guy Noble, revered music maestro and esteemed award-winning conductor will direct a 50-piece orchestra comprising musicians from leading symphony orchestras from Sydney, Canberra, Adelaide, and Brisbane. Guest artists include Australia’s top pianist Tony Lee, winner of the 2016 Sydney International Piano Competition; accomplished violinist Sun Yi, associate concertmaster of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra; leading Sydney-based Guzheng musician Angie Liu; mezzo soprano Victoria Lambourn; and soprano Sharon Zhai.
The repertoire is a combination of traditional and contemporary music from the East and West. Mezzo soprano Victoria Lambourn will sing the Habanera from Carmen and soprano Sharon Zhai will perform Pamir – My Beautiful Hometown. Tony Lee will play the celebrated and technically advanced Yellow River Piano Concerto, a joyful exuberant piece which has truly crossed the continental borders and become immensely acclaimed in the West — it was performed centre-stage at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. It was written by Yin Chengzong and Chu Wanghua and based on the Xian Xinghai’s Yellow River Cantata.
“This is the first time I will perform the Yellow River Piano Concerto in Sydney,” Tony Lee says. “It’s an incredible honour to perform the work, which is treasured not just in China, but also by the wider world. I’m delighted to share the grace and beauty of this work with new audiences.”
Sun Yi will take to the stage for the second highlight in the program, the heartbreaking love story — China’s Romeo and Juliet — Butterfly Lovers Violin Concerto, written by Chinese composers He Zhanhao and Chen Gang in 1959.
“I am delighted to have the opportunity to perform the much-loved classical Chinese masterpiece Butterfly Lovers. It has always been my ambition to play it in Australia. I am tremendously excited to be able to do so,” Sun Yi says.
The concert is an Image China cultural and arts event organised by China Arts and Entertainment Group Ltd in association with China Cultural Centre Sydney, presented by Ausfeng. They aim to introduce traditional and contemporary Chinese performing arts to audiences around the world. Since its inception in 2009, it has presented numerous inspirational works at venues across the globe.
East Meets West Orchestral Evening
Featuring Chinese classics Butterfly Lovers and The Yellow River
Canberra – Llewellyn Hall 7:30pm Saturday 26 June
Sydney – Town Hall 7:30pm Friday 9 July
Brisbane – QPAC 7:30pm Monday September 27
Adelaide – Town Hall 7:30PM Tuesday September 28
Canberra and Sydney tickets on sale now; Brisbane and Adelaide tickets on sale soon. Visit the website for bookings.
