Capital anticipates musical feast

Returning for its 27th edition, this year's event is a celebration of sound and the city, Chen Nan reports.

October is the month for classical music fans in the capital, as the annual Beijing Music Festival provides a stellar lineup of musical acts from around the world and a rich array of cultural activities.

On Friday, the 27th edition of the festival was announced. Running from Oct 5 to 13, this year's event is more than a celebration of global musical traditions, it's also an invitation to explore the rich cultural tapestry of Beijing itself, says Zou Shuang, artistic director of the Beijing Music Festival.

Under the theme "Harmony in Beijing, Global Sounds", 10 concerts will be held at different locations around the city in a fusion of music and exploration that will allow both performers and the audience to delve deeply into the cultural heart of the city.

The festival opens with a concert by the China National Symphony Orchestra under the baton of composer-conductor Tan Dun on Oct 5 at the National Centre for the Performing Arts.

Marking the 60th anniversary of China-France diplomatic relations, it will feature soloists, including cellist Wang Jian, violinist Lu Wei and suona (traditional Chinese wind instrument) player Liu Wenwen, playing music from the two countries, such as A Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix, one of the most famous pieces for the suona, Bolero, a one-movement orchestral piece by French composer Ravel and Tan's Passacaglia: Secret of Wind and Birds.

On Oct 6, under the baton of conductor Yu Long, founder of the Beijing Music Festival and chairman of the festival's artistic committee, the China Philharmonic Orchestra and the Lanzhou Concert Hall Choir will perform Emigre at the NCPA, an oratorio about Jewish refugees navigating their new lives in Shanghai during World War II. Commissioned by the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra and the New York Philharmonic, the oratorio is composed by award-winning musician Aaron Zigman, Pulitzer Prize-winning librettist Mark Campbell and songwriter Brock Walsh.

Premiering last year in Shanghai and later staged at New York's Lincoln Center in February, the oratorio will be performed by singers including tenor Arnold Livingston Geis, soprano Song Yuanming and bass-baritone Shen Yang.

Zou says that the festival continues to expand the commissioning of new work, including Jiu Ge +Immortal Love by Zhou Long and Richard Dubugnon, a contemporary composition exploring traditional Chinese culture through a modern lens, which will make its world premiere.

In 2013, the Beijing Music Festival commissioned Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Zhou to write a symphonic epic for solo vocalists and orchestra called Nine Odes, which was based on the Jiu Ge (Nine Songs), composed by patriotic Chu state poet Qu Yuan during the Warring States Period (475-221 BC).According to Yu, with the new commission, Zhou continues his exploration of the Jiu Ge but unlike the 2013 commission, the new piece highlights traditional Chinese instruments and will be performed without lyrics.

"Without lyrics, audiences will be provided with a space of unlimited imagination, which will allow the orchestra to create vivid musical characters while depicting aspects of traditional culture," says Yu.

The Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra will premiere the new piece on Oct 8 at the Poly Theatre. Conducted by Huang Yi, it will feature soloists, including pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet, cellist Gautier Capucon, and erhu (two-stringed fiddle) player Lu Yiwen.

"We planned this year with the hope of giving Beijing audiences excellent performances and to explore new styles and formats to expand our fan base, especially among young people," says Zou. "The festival will emphasize community involvement and outreach. We will invite musicians to participate in activities like public rehearsals, preshow talks and educational events, as well as give performances. We want to engage a broader audience."

French pianist Helene Grimaud and the Camerata Salzburg — one of the world's leading chamber orchestras — will invite the audience to an open rehearsal before their concert at the Poly Theatre on Oct 7.

Trumpet player and composer Wynton Marsalis will meet students at Tsinghua University on Oct 8 before giving two concerts with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra at the NCPA on Oct 9 and 10.

"It not only demonstrates the diversity of global musical traditions but also invites everyone to experience Beijing through the eyes of visiting artists, creating a truly immersive celebration of both music and places in Beijing," she adds.

Beyond traditional concert halls, the festival will be held at different locations, connecting music to the cultural landscape.

For example, in 2015, American composer Andy Akiho was commissioned by the festival to write the Ping-Pong Concerto in which an orchestra, a violin soloist, a percussionist and two table tennis players worked together. A real table for the match was set up in front of the members of the China Philharmonic Orchestra and conductor Zhang Yi's podium.

This year, the composer will return with his contemporary percussion piece Seven Pillars to perform at the Forbidden City Concert Hall on Oct 11. Commissioned and performed by Grammy-nominated ensemble Sandbox Percussion, the 80-minute, 11-movement suite for percussion comprises seven quartets around four solos that reflect the personality of each performer.

"The concert will be staged at one of the most popular concert halls in the capital, which is located inside Zhongshan Park. We look forward to having Beijing audiences interact with the performers onstage during the show while enjoying trailblazing work that redefines how one listens to and experiences music," says Zou.

One of the highlights of the program will be the semi-staged opera Porgy and Bess, a vibrant, lively and moving presentation of Gershwin's famous opera, which will close this year's festival on Oct 12 and 13.

"The backbone of the production is the chorus of the Cape Town Opera. The opera reflects the particular intensity and energy of South African singers," says Zou, adding that the new version will highlight the singers, "bringing their extraordinary voices, hearts and souls to their performances".

It will be staged at the Divine Music Administration inside the Temple of Heaven. Built in 1420, the Divine Music Administration is one of the five major structures at the imperial sacrificial altar and was the highest ritual music academy for imperial sacrificial music.

On Oct 10, a concert of African choral music will be put on by the Cape Town Opera Chorus under the baton of conductor and pianist Jose Dias.

Contact the writer at chennan@chinadaily.com.cn