"The Monkey King", created by Shanghai Animation Film Studio from 1961 to 1964, is a landmark in the history of Chinese animation and has influenced generations of young people.

To commemorate the 100-year development of Chinese animation, the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra and the Beijing Music Festival jointly commissioned composer Liu Sola to create a new symphonic dance piece, "The Monkey King". It will debut at the 25th/26th Beijing Music Festival on October 5, 2023 at the Poly Theater.

Composer Liu Sola graduated from the Composition Department of the Central Conservatory of Music and studied under Mr. Du Mingxin. Her music works include operas, a large number of film and television music, orchestral music, dance music, vocal art, and a large number of comprehensive Chinese music ensemble works. She has toured in Europe and domestically and has received high praise.

As an old friend of the Beijing Music Festival, Liu Sola brought the concert "Tian Di Tu Teng" to the audience at the 18th Beijing Music Festival. Through multi-person and multi-voice energy and rich percussion language, she brought communication between the magnetic fields of heaven, earth, humans, and animals, and introduced traditional Chinese rhythms to young people with a new sound. This year, Liu Sola's work will once again be performed at the Beijing Music Festival.

The animated film "The Monkey King" drew inspiration from the characteristics of traditional Chinese opera and traditional beats, which inspired Liu Sola's creation. Therefore, the symphonic dance piece "The Monkey King" uses a large number of Chinese traditional music elements, such as suona, gongs, cymbals, and other traditional Chinese instruments, and incorporates modern jazz style creation. With rich musical layers, it adds a mysterious color to Sun Wukong's character, combining folk music elements, modern music interests, national instrument colors, jazz music agility, and symphonicity of orchestral music, jointly creating the image of the powerful and influential Sun Wukong. In terms of overall visual and musical presentation, Liu Sola highlights the characterization of Sun Wukong, telling the story of his anger against the Heavenly Palace before he went to the West to obtain the scriptures, vividly presenting the mischievous monkey god with a strong temper and powerful magic.

In Liu Sola's view, "this work highlights the narrative style and lively atmosphere of traditional Chinese music, rather than being limited to the structure of Western music. It is like a celebratory dance piece, a contemporary music work flowing with traditional Chinese rhythms." Creating this dance piece was a form of healing for her. "Before I got sick, I was very pessimistic. But unexpectedly, creating this work made me optimistic, and you can feel it in the music. After listening to it, you will want to dance freely."

For Liu Sola, the creative process of the symphonic dance "The Monkey King" is nothing short of a carnival of vitality. Liu Sola said that this animated film inspired her to create a symphonic dance with traditional Chinese rhythms for young people, to feel the connection between traditional Chinese folk rhythms and contemporary spirit in the rhythm. This audio-visual feast will be presented in an artistic form that combines visual and auditory elements, with the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra and "Liu Sola and Friends" performing synchronously with the film. Liu Sola spent eight months presenting this well-known animated film in a new way to the audience, using contemporary music styles to commemorate the centenary of Chinese animation and tell Chinese myths. This is also the artistic concept that the Beijing Music Festival has always adhered to for 25 years - telling Chinese stories in a world language.

Performance Information

Date: Thursday, October 5th, 19:30

Venue: Beijing Poly Theater

Liu Sola and Friends Ensemble

Guitar: Liu Yijun

Chinese percussion: Qiao Jia

Chinese percussion: Dong Yilin

Chinese percussion: Zhang Yan

Chinese percussion: Wang Linfeng

Pipa: Cheng Yuyu

Pipa: Chen Suchao

Piano: Yang Jier

Composer: Liu Sola

Orchestra: Shanghai Symphony Orchestra

Conductor: Zhang Jieming

Beijing Music Festival and Shanghai Symphony Orchestra jointly commissioned