Chinese Chamber Music Festival
January 13th 2009 01:50
Inaugural Chinese Gardens Chamber Music Festival
5 to 8 February, Sydney
www.johnhuiemusic.com
5 to 8 February the idyllic setting of the Chinese Gardens in Darling Harbour will be the venue for the jewel in the crown of this year's Chinese New Year celebrations. The inaugural Chinese Gardens Chamber Music Festival will unveil connections and unexpected cross-overs between Chinese and European music, old and contemporary. Artistic Director John Z Huie, who has returned to Australia after living and working in China for 18 years, will present the first Chinese Gardens Chamber Music Festival ever held in Australia.
As an Australian composer who has lived and worked in China for the last 18 years, it gives me enormous pleasure to finally bring the music of China to Sydney in what will be a memorable and beautiful cross cultural experience says Huie.
John Z Huie - Composer and Festival Artistic Director
Born in Sydney, a graduate of the Sydney Conservatorium High School, Huie won an Arts Council composer's scholarship along with Carl Vine in 1974 after writing his first major work, The Eclectic Mass. Huie was then commissioned by such bodies as The Sydney Choral Society, The Australian Film Commission, The Australia Council and the ABC.
Moving to China in 1991, Huie scored the music for a string of films and documentaries as well as lecturing on music for film at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University and Hong Kong Arts Centre. Commissioned by the HKSAR (Hong Kong Government), John composed and produced The Honorable Retreat, a musical tribute to the handover of Hong Kong to China in 1997.
After moving to Shanghai in 2002, he spent three years researching and reproducing the authentic songs and musical style of Shanghai in the 1930s. The albums Shanghai Jazz 1 and Shanghai Jazz 2, were released by EMI. Huie then continued to write for small ensembles using a combination of traditional European and Chinese instruments, which resulted in the release of New Shanghai, also with EMI.
During this time he wrote a number of film scores including The White Countess by legendary New York based film duo Merchant Ivory.
Huie's most recent work Rabbit on a Shovel will premiere at the Chinese Gardens Chamber Music Festival.
Extraordinary Musicians
With more than 28 extraordinary musicians from China and Australia performing classics from Debussy to Dvorak, this is a unique opportunity to hear a wide ranging repertoire blending Chinese, Australian and European music, new and old.
Festival highlights include a rare opportunity to hear traditional Suzhou (Chinese) Opera, pingtan, a gentle chamber opera which features the superb pentatonic harmonies of the ancient instruments of China; guzheng virtuoso Fang Yu, principal of the Shanghai Chinese Orchestra; local Chinese instrumentalists Wang Zheng Ting (sheng) and Changning Chai (dizi); Australian pianists Kristian Chong, Michael Kieran Harvey and Brenda Jones, playing works by Ravel, Debussy and Dvorak; and The Chinese Australian Chamber Ensemble: Lulu Liu (pipa), Ying Liu (erhu), Jin Feng (yang qin) and Tony Wheeler (zhong ruan and guqin).
Pianist Van-anh Nguyen will perform her modern interpretation of traditional Chinese works and Karak Percussion and Claire Edwardes will premiere John Z. Huie’s Rabbit on a Shovel, conducted by Max Liu, with Sun Yi, Jason Tong, Jeremy Williams, Patrick Murphy and Kees Boersma.
Her Excellency, Professor Marie Bashir, Governor of New South Wales will officially open the inaugural Festival on Thursday 5th February.
Presented in association with Musica Viva Australia, the Sydney City Council and The Sydney Harbor Foreshore Authority, this is a unique opportunity not to be missed.
TICKET INFORMATION
Dates: Thursday 5 to Sunday 8 February 2009.
Time: Pre-concert talks start at 6:30pm and concerts begin at 7:00pm.
Venue: Darling Harbour, Chinese Gardens (wheelchair access available)
Ticket Information: Single Tickets Reserved*: $85
Single Tickets Unreserved*: $65
Jade Festival Pass Reserved*: $306 (10% saving on single ticket prices)
* All tickets include Chinese meal with Australian wine (vegetarian option available)
Bookings: Musica Viva box office: 1 800 688 482 (9am to 5pm Monday to Friday)
Website & Program: www.johnhuiemusic.com
General Enquiries: Phone: 02 9518 4451
5 to 8 February, Sydney
www.johnhuiemusic.com
5 to 8 February the idyllic setting of the Chinese Gardens in Darling Harbour will be the venue for the jewel in the crown of this year's Chinese New Year celebrations. The inaugural Chinese Gardens Chamber Music Festival will unveil connections and unexpected cross-overs between Chinese and European music, old and contemporary. Artistic Director John Z Huie, who has returned to Australia after living and working in China for 18 years, will present the first Chinese Gardens Chamber Music Festival ever held in Australia.
As an Australian composer who has lived and worked in China for the last 18 years, it gives me enormous pleasure to finally bring the music of China to Sydney in what will be a memorable and beautiful cross cultural experience says Huie.
John Z Huie - Composer and Festival Artistic Director
Born in Sydney, a graduate of the Sydney Conservatorium High School, Huie won an Arts Council composer's scholarship along with Carl Vine in 1974 after writing his first major work, The Eclectic Mass. Huie was then commissioned by such bodies as The Sydney Choral Society, The Australian Film Commission, The Australia Council and the ABC.
Moving to China in 1991, Huie scored the music for a string of films and documentaries as well as lecturing on music for film at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University and Hong Kong Arts Centre. Commissioned by the HKSAR (Hong Kong Government), John composed and produced The Honorable Retreat, a musical tribute to the handover of Hong Kong to China in 1997.
After moving to Shanghai in 2002, he spent three years researching and reproducing the authentic songs and musical style of Shanghai in the 1930s. The albums Shanghai Jazz 1 and Shanghai Jazz 2, were released by EMI. Huie then continued to write for small ensembles using a combination of traditional European and Chinese instruments, which resulted in the release of New Shanghai, also with EMI.
During this time he wrote a number of film scores including The White Countess by legendary New York based film duo Merchant Ivory.
Huie's most recent work Rabbit on a Shovel will premiere at the Chinese Gardens Chamber Music Festival.
Extraordinary Musicians
With more than 28 extraordinary musicians from China and Australia performing classics from Debussy to Dvorak, this is a unique opportunity to hear a wide ranging repertoire blending Chinese, Australian and European music, new and old.
Festival highlights include a rare opportunity to hear traditional Suzhou (Chinese) Opera, pingtan, a gentle chamber opera which features the superb pentatonic harmonies of the ancient instruments of China; guzheng virtuoso Fang Yu, principal of the Shanghai Chinese Orchestra; local Chinese instrumentalists Wang Zheng Ting (sheng) and Changning Chai (dizi); Australian pianists Kristian Chong, Michael Kieran Harvey and Brenda Jones, playing works by Ravel, Debussy and Dvorak; and The Chinese Australian Chamber Ensemble: Lulu Liu (pipa), Ying Liu (erhu), Jin Feng (yang qin) and Tony Wheeler (zhong ruan and guqin).
Pianist Van-anh Nguyen will perform her modern interpretation of traditional Chinese works and Karak Percussion and Claire Edwardes will premiere John Z. Huie’s Rabbit on a Shovel, conducted by Max Liu, with Sun Yi, Jason Tong, Jeremy Williams, Patrick Murphy and Kees Boersma.
Her Excellency, Professor Marie Bashir, Governor of New South Wales will officially open the inaugural Festival on Thursday 5th February.
Presented in association with Musica Viva Australia, the Sydney City Council and The Sydney Harbor Foreshore Authority, this is a unique opportunity not to be missed.
TICKET INFORMATION
Dates: Thursday 5 to Sunday 8 February 2009.
Time: Pre-concert talks start at 6:30pm and concerts begin at 7:00pm.
Venue: Darling Harbour, Chinese Gardens (wheelchair access available)
Ticket Information: Single Tickets Reserved*: $85
Single Tickets Unreserved*: $65
Jade Festival Pass Reserved*: $306 (10% saving on single ticket prices)
* All tickets include Chinese meal with Australian wine (vegetarian option available)
Bookings: Musica Viva box office: 1 800 688 482 (9am to 5pm Monday to Friday)
Website & Program: www.johnhuiemusic.com
General Enquiries: Phone: 02 9518 4451
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