The third annual Chinese New Year concert, The Sound of Spring, presented by the US-China Music Institute of the Bard College Conservatory of Music, is a celebration of one of the most important holidays in the Lunar calendar -- a time for enjoying friends and family and looking ahead to the bright future of a new year. This is a truly authentic Chinese New Year concert with a program of Chinese music performed by Bard’s The Orchestra Now, joined by a select group of top vocal and instrumental artists, and showcasing the wonderful diversity and artistry of Chinese symphonic music.
Jindong Cai conducts The Orchestra Now at Jazz at Lincoln Center, January 2022. Photo by Guan Liming.
Highlights include the spectacular Yellow River piano concerto, performed by rising star Ju Xiaofu; the gorgeous Apsaras of the Silk Road for pipa and orchestra, featuring NY-based pipa soloist Zhou Yi; and the delightful operatic medley From Jasmine to Turandot, which combines Puccini’s famous Chinese-influenced opera score with the main source of his inspiration, the popular folk song Jasmine Flower.
Maestro Cai gave a pre-concert talk at 7pm.
featured artists
“THE SOUND OF SPRING” — Calligraphy by Huang Yizhi.
PROGRAM
The Orchestra Now
Jindong Cai, conductor
Spring Festival Overture 《春节序曲》
Li Huanzhi 李焕之 (1919–2000)
Ode to Pear Blossoms 《梨花颂》
Yang Nailin 杨乃林, music
Weng Sizai 翁思再, lyrics
Song Feihong, Peking opera singer 京剧表演艺术家: 宋飞鸿
Boat Tracker along the Yellow River for guanzi and orchestra 《黄河纤夫》
Zhou Chenglong 周成龙 (b. 1946)
Guo Yazhi, guanzi 管子: 郭雅志
Yellow River piano concerto 《黄河》钢琴协奏曲
i. Yellow River Boatmen’s Song
ii. Ode to the Yellow River
iii. Wrath of the Yellow River
iv. Defend the Yellow River
Xian Xinghai 冼星海 (1905-1945)
Arr. Yin Chengzong 殷承宗, Liu Zhuang 刘庄, Chu Wanghua 储望华, and Sheng Lihong 盛礼洪
Ju Xiaofu, piano 钢琴: 鞠小夫
INTERMISSION
Apsaras of the Silk Road for pipa and orchestra《丝路飞天》琵琶协奏曲
Zhao Cong赵聪 (b. 1976)
Orch. Yin Tianhu 尹天虎
Zhou Yi, pipa琵琶: 周懿
Hundreds of Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix for suona and orchestra 《百鸟朝凤》唢呐与乐队
Ren Tongxiang 任同祥
Arr. Guan Xia 关峡
Guo Yazhi, suona唢呐: 郭雅志
Ode to the West Lake《颂西湖》
Su Shi 苏轼 (1037-1101), poem
Song Feihong 宋飞鸿 (b. 1956), music
Song Feihong, Peking opera singer 京剧表演艺术家: 宋飞鸿
Ocean, My Hometown 《大海啊故乡》
Wang Liping 王立平 (b. 1941)
Jose Rubio, baritone
Duets from White Haired Girl 歌剧《白毛女》选曲
i. Wind from the North《北风吹》
ii. Red Ribbon 《扎红头绳》
Ma Ke 马可 (1918-1976)
Esther Maureen Kelly, soprano
Jose Rubio, baritone
The Moon Represents my Heart 《月亮代表我的心》
Weng Chinghsi 翁清溪, music
Sun Yi 孙仪, lyrics
Esther Maureen Kelly, soprano
From Jasmine to Turandot 《从茉莉花到图兰朵》
Jiangsu Folksong/Giacomo Puccini
Arr. Luo Maishuo 罗麦朔
Esther Maureen Kelly, soprano
Jose Rubio, baritone
Program subject to change.
Health and Safety Protocols at the Fisher Center
Face masks are required at all performances.
We will ask for proof of vaccination as you enter the theater. Audience members 5–11 years old must provide proof of at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccination. Audience members ages 12 and above are required to provide proof of full vaccination. In general, people are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after a single-dose vaccine, such as Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine, or two weeks after the second dose in a 2-dose series, such as the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines.
Guests may display proof of their Vaccination Record Card on a smartphone or present a physical copy. New York State residents, or anyone who received a COVID-19 vaccine in New York State, may present proof through the use of the Excelsior Pass (for more details, visit: https://epass.ny.gov).
Bard is a fully vaccinated campus. The CDC defines a fully vaccinated campus as an institution of higher education where all students, faculty, and staff have completed their vaccination series to protect against COVID-19 before returning to campus—except those people who are unable to get the COVID-19 vaccine due to medical or other reasons—which, at Bard, is less than 1% of our community.
Frequent cleaning and disinfecting of all areas and surfaces.