From May 9th to May 26th, 2018, a violin-themed chamber music carnival will go into full swing.
Ever since its establishment in 2009, the NCPA May Festival has emphasized chamber music and offered a series of high-quality chamber music concerts at a low price every May.
Under the theme, “A Feast of Strings,” the festival will present 18 exciting performances in 18 days, and bring together Chinese and foreign violinists to interpret classical Chinese and Western music. Well-arranged repertoire design, non-profit public performances and outreach programmes will impress audiences with violin charms and spread wonderful violin melodies to every corner of Beijing.
Violinist LU Siqing
On May 9th-10th, two special Gala Concerts will prelude the festival with famous violinists presenting western classics and Chinese violin masterpieces.
Violinist NING Feng
On May 9th, six Chinese violinists LU Siqing, NING Feng, HUANG Mengla, CHEN Xi, HUANG Bin and LIU Xiao, conductor CHEN Lin, Chamber Orchestra of the Central Conservatory of Music and LU Jingyi (Artistic Director of Orchestra Department, the Central Conservatory of Music) will join hands to present Western violin classics.
Violinist HUANG Mengla
In the first half of the concert, six musicians will come on stage in succession and present one or two solo works of their own choice. The main repertoires will mainly comprise of Tzigane by Ravel (LIU Xiao), Introduction and Variations in G major for Violin by Niccolo Paganini (HUANG Mengla), Cantabile and La Ronde des Lutins by Antonio Bazzini (NING Feng), Sabre Dance by Khatchaturian-Heifetz (CHEN Xi), Intermezzi by Robert Schumann and Scherzo by Johannes Brahms (Huang Bin). LU Siqing will make grand finale of Grand Sonata in La Maggore in A major by Niccolo Paganini and Polonaise de Concert in D Major by Henryk Wieniawski. The violin works cover different styles and genres from the Classical Period to Romantic Period, including rhapsody, variation, rondo, interlude, scherzo, dance music, etc.
Violinist CHEN Xi
In the second half, six musicians will deliver a cooperative and competing performances. Concerto in D minor for 2 Violins by Johann Sebastian Bach will be presented through the duet of NING Feng/HUANG Mengla, CHEN Xi/LIU Xiao and LU Siqing/HUANG Bin, who will present Movement I-III in succession. In addition, LU Siqing, HUANG Bin, NING Feng and HUANG Mengla will also perform Concerto Op. 3 No. 10 by Antonio Lucio Vivaldi in this concert. Meanwhile, these six violinists will play Caprice No. 24 (a classical work by Niccolo Paganini) in relay. They will give full play to their “unique skills” in nine variations. In the finale, they will jointly present Series of Masterpieces arranged by Chinese composer HU Yao.
Violinist HUANG Bin
Violin originated in Europe and has developed rapidly in China for nearly a century. On May 10th, under the baton of conductor TAN Lihua, four Chinese violinists LIU Yuxi, LU Siqing, JIANG Zhenyi and JIANG Yiying will cooperate with the Beijing Symphony Orchestra to pay tribute to Chinese violin undertakings with a dedicated concert and help audiences savour violin charms in a context of Chinese cultural language.
Violinist LIU Xiao
The veteran violinist LIU Yuxi is a legendary story himself. Born into a music family who has made great contribution to the music development in China, LIU Yuxi also adds his own masterpieces into the development of Chinese violin works. His violin concerto The White-haired Girl was popular far and wide in China. He also remains committed to cultivating Chinese young violin talents. He has imparted his violin techniques to students and blends innovative ideas on Chinese violin works into his teaching.
Violinist LIU Yuxi
At the concert, 80-year-old LIU Yuxi will play The Blowing North Wind Capriccio, an excerpt of The White-haired Girl. The four works created by the three masters of the LIU family, i.e., Missing My Motherland, A Beautiful Night, Elegy and How Can I Bear Not Missing Her are also independently arranged by LIU Yuxi. It can be seen from these works that violin—Western musical instrument—combines with Chinese cultural elements and interchange with Chinese national musical instruments and techniques, which guide audiences to blaze the path for violin localization in China.
Violinist JIANG Zhenyi
In this concert, LU Siqing will present
Sunshine on Tashkurgan. Two young violinists JIANG Zhenyi and JIANG Yiying will play
Morning of Miao Village, Golden Furnace and
Xinjiang Suite, respectively.
Violinist JIANG Yiying
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