Venue: Concert Hall
Date: June 11, 2017
Duration: Approximate 120 mins
Programme
The Eighth Wonder LÜ Wenbin
Tales from the Vienna Woods Johann Strauss Jr.
Intermezzo from Opera Cavalleria Rusticana Pietro Mascagni
Excerpts from Ballet Drama Coppélia Léo Delibes
Jasmine Flower, adapted from Chinese Folk Song LI Wenping
Gold und Silber Walzer (Gold and Silver Waltz) Franz Lehár
——Intermission——
The Abyss WANG Shuci
Overture to Die Fledermaus Johann Strauss Jr.
Orchestra Dance of the Yao People LIU Tieshan, MAO Yuan
Excerpts from Opera Carmen Bizet
Rosen aus dem Süden (Roses from the South) Johann Strauss Jr.
Overture to The Queen of Spades Franz von Suppé
Conductor
TAN Lihua
As an active conductor in the Chinese and international music circles, TAN Lihua has conducted Russian National Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra and other world-class orchestras. He has also been in cooperation with over 30 well-known symphony orchestras from the United States, Germany, Britain, Czech Republic, France, Belgium, Italy, Canada, Switzerland, Israel, Spain, Australia, Argentina, Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, Panama, etc. Maestros who have cooperated with TAN Lihua include Lazar Berman, Vladimir Ovchinnikov, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Justus Frantz, LANG Lang, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Midori, etc.
TAN Lihua is currently the Vice President of Chinese Musicians Association, President of Beijing Musicians Association, Deputy Director of the NCPA Art Committee, Vice President of China Symphony Development Foundation, Artistic Director and Chief Conductor of Beijing Symphony Orchestra.
TAN Lihua began his conducting career at the age of 16. He was admitted to the Conducting Department at Shanghai Conservatory of Music in 1977, and studied under Professor HUANG Xiaotong, a famous Chinese conductor and educator. Subsequently, he continued his studies with conductor LI Delun, and worked as his assistant. From 1982 to 1991, he taught at Tianjin Conservatory of Music. From 1991 to 1995, he served as the conductor of China National Symphony Orchestra. In 2000-2001 music season, TAN was the permanent conductor of Russian National Orchestra. As one of the most active conductors in China, he has also cooperated with major orchestras in the country, such as China National Symphony Orchestra, China Philharmonic Orchestra and Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, and has attended a number of important festivals, contests and concerts.
TAN Lihua’s repertoire includes a large number of classical and romantic symphonic works, as well as symphonic works created in different modern times. He has conducted performances of many classic symphonic works by famous Chinese and foreign composers and contemporary works, including the symphonic poem Pines of Rome by Respighi, Symphony No. 5 by Prokofiev, mostly symphonic works of Dvorak, etc. As an enthusiastic advocator and supporter of Chinese contemporary music creation, TAN has conducted the premiere of over 100 new works by Chinese composers. In 2012, he conducted the premiere of Piano Concerto No.1 by Chinese composer WANG Xilin in Beijing, and the symphonic overture Lotus by Chinese composer GUO Wenjing for the 2012 London Olympic Games in China and London respectively. Since 2013, four contemporary Chinese composers – YE Xiaogang, ZHOU Long, WANG Xilin and ZHANG Qianyi have gained TAN’s new commissions.
Led by TAN Lihua, Beijing Symphony Orchestra has toured Europe for four times in 2001, 2003, 2006 and 2009 respectively. In 2009, the orchestra performed 18 concerts in eight countries in 26 days, winning wide acclaim.
In 2012, as the representative of Chinese culture, Beijing Symphony Orchestra led by TAN took part in the “China Culture Week” during 2012 London Olympic Games. On July 29th at the Royal Festival Hall, TAN conducted the joint performance of Beijing Symphony Orchestra and London Philharmonic Orchestra in Celebration of 2012 London Olympic Games.
In September 2013, TAN Lihua led the Orchestra to make the seventh European tour, taking part in the world-famous Bruckner Festival and Dvorák Festival. In October the same year, the orchestra made a two-week tour in America for the first time, and attended the Festival Internacional Cervantino in Mexico. Later, it gave performance at Carnegie Hall.
TAN Lihua has conducted nearly 1,000 concerts in many major cities of China. Since 1997, he has taken part in planning Beijing New Year concert. To promote symphony music, he leads the Orchestra to present simple symphonic and orchestral music pieces for many universities and middle schools every year, and holds free concerts for students regularly. From 2012 to 2015, such performances reached over 50. Moreover, TAN has conducted a large number of important performances in China, and has nearly 50 recordings, as well as several hundred TV and film music works. In 2007, EMI has issued eight recordings of Beijing Symphony Orchestra under TAN’s baton. The repertoires include Concerto for Orchestra by Bartok, symphony Peking Opera by BAO Yuankai, percussion concerto Sacred Fire – 2008 by TANG Jianping, percussion concerto The Rite of Mountains by GUO Wenjing, Beijing Rhyme by ZHOU Long, Pictures at an Exhibition by Modest Mussorgsky, the suite Firebird by Stravinsky, Symphony No. 3 by Rachmaninoff and Symphony No. 9 From the New World by Dvorak.
Presenter
Beijing Symphony Orchestra
Praised as "The Orchestral Pearl of the Capital of China," the Beijing Symphony Orchestra (BSO) was established in October 1977, and is a focal point of musical art, performance and culture in China today. The BSO has known worldwide for its impeccable standards, as well as for the depth of its western and Chinese repertoire. The BSO is the Resident Orchestra of the Forbidden City Concert Hall, Beijing.
As observers, participants and creators of the musical culture of Beijing, the BSO has evolved in parallel with the pace of China’s Reform and Opening-up. Thus, the BSO has grown and matured hand-in-hand with modern Beijing. With its high professional standards combined with a deep passion for the art of music, the BSO has become a pacemaker for the rise and development of serious music in China.
In the 1990s, the BSO underwent significant reform and development under the direction of its Principal Conductor and Music Director, Maestro TAN Lihua. Under Maestro TAN, the BSO maintains an energetic, high-level and creative schedule, performing annually from ninety to one hundred performances, at home and abroad.
Today, the BSO’s roster of guest conductors, and soloists include first-class maestros such as Mstislav Rostropovich, Evgeny Svetlanov, Christoph Eschenbach, Lawrence Foster, Thomas Sanderling, Leif Segerstam; piano virtuosos such as Lazar Berman, Justus Frantz, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Tzimon Barto, Lang Lang; violin masters such as Vadim Repin, Sara Chang, Midori Goto, Kristof Barati, Sergej Krylov; the cello master Jullian LIoyd Webber; viola master Yuri Bashmet; trumpet virtuoso Gábor Boldoczki; and vocalists such as Placido Domingo, José Carreras and Jennifer Larmore.
Maestro Christoph Eschenbach was very impressed when, for the first time, he worked with BSO in 2012. Maestro Eschenbach stated, "The BSO is an orchestra of exceptional high professional quality. Their high level of musical understanding, their range, and the quality of their performance made a deep impression on me."
Over the past decade, the BSO has made international achievements at a level unattainable by most domestic orchestras. In 2001, the BSO established its leadership role by becoming the first Chinese orchestra to go worldwide when it embarked upon its premiere international tour. The BSO has since been invited to perform in many countries, including Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Italy, Poland, Hungary, Turkey, Serbia, South Slovenia, and South Korea. In the years 2001, 2003, 2006, 2009 and 2012, the BSO completed six highly successful European tours. Critics throughout Europe spoke highly and wrote well of these tours. In Germany, for example, the Suddentsche Zeitung praised the both excellence of the BSO’s performance as well as Maestro TAN’s conducting.
The BSO also assumes an important responsibility in developing and promoting Chinese symphonic music. For example, new works by WANG Xilin, BAO Yuankai, HUANG Anlun, XU Zhenmin, GUO Wenjing, and ZHOU Long have all been premiered and performed by the BSO. By supporting contemporary Chinese composers, the BSO has contributed to the support and development of over two hundred works in the Chinese symphonic repertoire: works that have been presented not only in China, but also worldwide. The BSO has pioneered a relationship with the prestigious EMI recording company, having released eight new and impressive CDs worldwide since 2007.
The BSO maintains a deep commitment to music education and the popularization of classical and symphonic music. The BSO’s outreach programs to universities, schools, communities, and factories have reached out to enlighten, educate and inform more than a combined audience of over million new listeners during the past twenty years.
