Miracle September delivers red music with a twist

Updated: 2012-08-10 16:52

(China Daily)

  Comments() Print Mail Large Medium  Small 分享按钮 0

Besides the Beijing Symphony Orchesspecial gala concert at the Royal Festival Under the baton of its music director Tan Lihua (centre), Beijing Symphony Orchestra will perform in London on July 29. formed China’s Three Tenors. They singing was to bring fun and happiDomingo and Jose Carreras — at the sions. Their sharing attitude makes 12. Curtain call song: WelcometoBeijing electronic organ. wei play the organ for her graduation solo at classics lyrics. slow and smoothing rhythms, which con Performed by the cast

Red Memory, their remix of classic red Shenyang Conservatory of Music in 2004, he Besides pop music, Wang Xiaohai also trast with their previous fast and dramatic tra under the Beijing Municipal Cultural Hall of London’s Southbank Centre on opened their world tour in Beijing’s ness,” Dai said. Forbidden City. The Central Opera me excited on stage,” he said. songs, combines the music of the Yellow River was enthralled. injects operatic singing and rap to add colour song style. Bureau, there are also State-level orchesJuly 29. Great Hall of the People, and have He first heard opera on the radio. House, which Dai belonged to then, After returning from London, he Piano ConcertoandWanquan River,apopular Althoughthenine-to-fiveofficeworkerand to their performances. To complement her “Whatwe’veachievedsofariswaybeyond tras such as the China National Sym“The London Philharmonic Orchestra poem Lotusby Chinese composer Guo ping’s SacredFire2008— Concertofor “The world knows more about China’s since performed at the Lincoln CenThough he couldn’t understand the worked with Rudas to provide an will give a recital at Beijing Concert songfromtheclassicmovieRedDetachmentof karaoke fan had never received any musical partner, Wang Xiaowei also makes some visuour expectations. We’ve realised our dreams phony Orchestra under the Ministry of is delighted to be working with the Beijing Wenjing. Percussion and Orchestra,which was traditional culture, such as Peking Opera ter, New York, and the Hong Kong lyrics in Italian, he studied it by singorchestra and offered Dai the chance Hall on August 26. Womenin1961.Theyperformedtheirmedley training, a bold idea began to take shape in al improvisations. one by one,” Wang Xiaohai said. Culture, and the China Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra for this unique col“The easy way out was to create a magdedicated to the Beijing Olympic Games. and kung fu,” Tan said. “We hope to show Cultural Center Concert Hall. They ing along. And though he dreamed to do a solo. Today, Dai lives happily with his

Orchestra under the State Administration laborative Gala concert to celebrate this nificent piece with a lot of bugles. I also It will feature percussionist Li Biao, who the UK audience another part of Chinese are also scheduled to perform at Ushof becoming a singer, he started work After the Three Tenors’ Beijing wife, Liu Yan, and his 16-year-old themtoothertouringopportunitiesinEurope “I’d never seen this instrument,” said Wang and is full of surprises,” she said. of Radio, Film and Television. international summer and momentous considered using cultural symbols from premiered the work with Beijing Symculture through our concert — Chinese er Hall, Edinburgh, with the Royal at 22 as a construction site worker in concert, Rudas started working with daughter, who has studied piano Instrumentalist Wang Xiaowei and singer and the United States. Xiaohai. “But after hearing it being played, Sheaddsthatherassociationwiththesinger Founded in October 1977, Beijing year, and the passing of the musical baton the host country. In the end, I decided to phony Orchestra in 2008. symphonic music.” Scottish National Orchestra. Taiyuan, Shanxi province. Dai and sent him to Pesaro for six from an early age. He also has a few Wang Xiaohai say miracles have happened Beautiful China, an original song mixing I just couldn’t get its sound out of my head.” hasreshapedherfuture.“HechangedmyorigSymphony Orchestra turned professional from Beijing to London,” said Timothy compose a work that is more lyrical and The concert will culminate with a As the program for London shows, BeiDuring the 2012 Olympic Games, Eventually he got into a drama weeks to work with Pavarotti. students, who are rising stars in the since they met and became the band Miracle Chinese folk music and strong beats, was part He contacted the performer, who was inal plans to be a teacher,” she says, “the usual in 1998. Walker, chief executive and artistic direcOriental,” Guo said. His work, he said, performance of Beethoven’sSymphony jing Symphony Orchestra takes Chinese China’sThreeTenorsconcert will be school in Beijing in 1984, where he “I not only studied with Pavarotti opera world.

September. They rose from nothing, they say, of the 2012 CCTV Spring Festival Gala proequally impressed by Wang Xiaohai’s singing. path taken by a music graduate in China.” “Most of the first-class orchestras in tor of the London Philharmonic. brings goodwill and best wishes to the No 9 Choral, with soprano Rebecca works as an important part of its reperperformed as part of Beijing Culture was taught to sing in a Chinese style. but also with Pavarotti’s teacher,” Dai He says his dream now is simply to to stardom after winning the top prize on Star gramme. The duo’s passionate singing and Theyalsofoundothercommoninterests,such Since music by the band has garnered the world are named after their cities. At the gala concert, the BSO will bring London Olympics. Evans, mezzo soprano Ning Liang, tenor toire and it has premiered many works Week in London, presenting a tradiThe first time Dai sang opera was age said. “Both of them would stand up perform, which is a real and inspirBoulevard, a popular competition in China playing was a good match with the festival astheirloveofrevolution-themedsongsofthe attention, the number of students learning Given the status of Beijing as a cultural a gift to the London Olympic Games — Another Chinese work to be perAndrew Kennedy, bass Matthew Rose, by Chinese composers, including Wang tional opera repertoire — including 30, when he sang Verdi’s IlTrovatore, andclapwhenIsanginItalianbecause ing idea, rather than becoming an Central Television in September 2008. Then atmosphere. 1950s and ’60s, often called the “red classics”. the instrument has doubled or even tripled, centre and international metropolis, Beithe specially commissioned symphonic formed at the concert will be Tang Jianand the London Philharmonic Choir. Xilin, Xu Zhenmin and Huang Anlun. works from Rigoletto, Pagliacci and in Chinese. it was rare for a Chinese to sing opera operatic celebrity. they found themselves in the spotlight of the “One of our biggest advantages is our Wang Xiaohai had little trouble convincing Wang Xiaowei believes. 2011 CCTV Spring Festival Gala show. performing style, which not only has music the 25-year-old performer from Dalian, who

Now, they are preparing to perform at the but also offers visual enjoyment,” said Wang started learning the piano at 7 — she took opening gala of Beijing Culture Week, from Xiaohai, 32, whose modern rendition of the secondplaceatthe2006UKElectronicOrgan July 24 to 31, during the London Olympics. revolutionary classics is a breath of fresh air. Competition — to team up as a band in 2008. They will present two of their most popular “Chinese tradition runs in our blood: Our Thus the organ, a Western instrument was hits, Red Memory and Beautiful China. music is fated to reflect the tradition. We hope paired with the classics of an important era of

The band has also recorded Best Wish From that the audiences in London can learn how Chinese history. Beijing, a song celebrating the London OlymyoungChinesemusiciansinterprettraditional Derived from the pipe organ, the double pics, written by renowned musician Wang Chinese culture.” keyboard electronic organ requires skillful Pingjiu and young composer Chang Shilei. The two Wangs often think their meeting maneuvering of its two keyboards and a foot

“We didn’t expect this opportunity to perand the musical path they followed together is pedal. Both hands and feet need to work form during the London Olympics. We’ve something of a miracle. together.