Echoes of ancient Tang poetry captivates concert goers

On Nov 2, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the China International Culture Association held the concert "Echoes of Ancient Tang Poems" at the National Center for the Performing Arts.

The concert was performed by the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Asian American Performing Arts Center from the United States, with conductor Marin Alsop leading the orchestra. Fourteen vocalists from nine countries including China, the United States and Italy performed Tang poetry in Chinese.

The concert opened with Brahms' famous work Haydn Variations and featured seven symphonic pieces based on Tang poetry, like Drink to Me and Quiet Thoughts by Night, composed by musicians from multiple countries.

A duet titled Spring River Flower Moon Night, commissioned jointly by the China Association for Cultural Exchange with Foreign Countries and the Philadelphia Orchestra and composed by American composer Mason Bates, made its debut.

The "Echoes of Ancient Tang Poems" concert was once performed at the Kimmel Center for Performing Arts in Philadelphia and the Lincoln Center in New York in January 2023. Some pieces will also be performed at a concert commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Philadelphia Orchestra's visit to China, held in Beijing this month.