Celebrate the year of the Dragon with The Orchestra Now, conducted by Jindong Cai. Now in its fifth year, The Sound of Spring is an authentic Chinese New Year concert featuring dramatic orchestral works and world-class Chinese instrument soloists. The program presents festive Chinese music specially selected to welcome in the lunar new year.
Solo artists Feng Tianshi (dizi), Guo Yazhi (suona), and Zhang Haiyue (erhu), will join the orchestra to perform concertos featuring the unique and inspiring sounds of Chinese traditional instruments.
Jindong Cai with The Orchestra Now in Sosnoff Theater. Photo by Karl Rabe.
Maestro Jindong Cai, Director of the US-China Music Institute, has created a program that asks the audience to consider how music affects us when it is familiar, such as a folk song heard since childhood, compared to how we hear new music or ancient music from the traditions of faraway lands. The program features works by contemporary Chinese composers that draw inspiration from the musical traditions of several distinct regions, forming a tapestry of different styles and sounds.
Full program information below.
Tickets $25.
FREE to Bard students with ID!
Special Pre-Concert Event Starting at 2pm
Join the US-China Music Institute for a Chinese instrument demonstration and refreshments in the Fisher Center lobby.
This is a family friendly event. Please come early and enjoy the fun!
program
Li Huanzhi 李焕之 (1919–2000)
Spring Festival Overture 《春节序曲》 (1955-56)
Ye Xiaogang 叶小纲 (b. 1955)
From Cantonese Suite 《广东音乐组曲》 (2005)
i. Raindrops Tapping on Banana Leaves 雨打芭蕉
iv. Thunder in Drought 旱天雷
Chang Shiuan 张玹 (b. 1989)
Diu Diu Diu Diu Dang for orchestra《丟丟丟丟铜仔》 (2018)
Hao Weiya 郝维亚 (b. 1971)
Blooming in the Spring concerto for dizi and orchestra 《陌上花开》 (2023, US Premiere)
Feng Tianshi, dizi
Intermission
Wang Jianmin 王建民 (b. 1956)
Erhu Rhapsody No. 6 第六二胡狂想曲 (2023, US Premiere）
Zhang Haiyue, erhu
Xinyan Li 李昕艳 (b. 1978)
The Magic Land suona concerto 《神奇的土地》 (2023, World Premiere）
Guo Yazhi, suona
Wang Danhong 王丹红 (b. 1985)
Joyful Songs of Mountains and Waters 《山水欢歌》 (2023, US Premiere)
FEATURED ARTISTS
The Sound of Spring is presented in collaboration with the Central Conservatory of Music, China.
SPECIAL THANKS to the Tianqiao & Chrissy Chen Institute for sponsoring The Sound of Spring 2024.
