EAST MEETS WEST ORCHESTRAL EVENING : TEN DOUBLE PASSES

Sun Yi

THIS CONCERT HAS BEEN INDEFINITELY POSTPONED DUE TO SYDNEY’S CURRENT COVID 19 OUTBREAK

East Meets West Orchestral Evening will present a unique blend of music from China and beyond. This is a stellar opportunity for audiences in Canberra, Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide to hear some of Australia’s finest musicians perform Butterfly Lovers Violin Concerto and Yellow River Piano Concerto, two hugely popular Chinese classics, rarely performed live on Australian stages, touring late June to September 2021.

Guy Noble, revered music maestro, esteemed award-winning conductor will direct a 50 piece orchestra comprising musicians from leading symphony orchestras from Sydney, Canberra, Adelaide and Brisbane. Guest artists include Australia’s top pianist Tony Lee, winner of the 2016 Sydney International Piano Competition, accomplished violinist Sun Yi, (Associate Concertmaster of the Sydney Symphony) leading Sydney-based Guzheng musician Angie Liu, mezzo soprano Victoria Lambourn and soprano Sharon Zhai.

The repertoire is a combination of traditional and contemporary music from the east and the west. Mezzo soprano Victoria Lambourn will sing the Habanera from Carmen and soprano Sharon Zhai will perform Pamir – My Beautiful Hometown. Tony Lee will play the celebrated and technically advanced Yellow River Piano Concerto, a joyful exuberant piece which has truly crossed the continental borders and become immensely acclaimed in the West, it was performed centre stage at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. It was written by Yin Chengzong and Chu Wanghua and based on the Xian Xinghai’s Yellow River Cantata.

“This is the first time I will perform the Yellow River Piano Concerto in Sydney” says Tony Lee. “It’s an incredible honour to perform the work, which is treasured not just in China, but also by the wider world. I’m delighted to share the grace and beauty of this work with new audiences.”

Sun Yi will take to the stage for the second highlight in the program, the heartbreaking love story, China’s Romeo and Juliet, Butterfly Lovers Violin Concerto, written by Chinese composers He Zhanhao and Chen Gang in 1959“I am delighted to have the opportunity to perform the much-loved classical Chinese masterpiece Butterfly Lovers. It has always been my ambition to play it in Australia. I am tremendously excited to be able to do so,” says Sun Yi.

The concert is an Image China cultural & arts event organised by China Arts and Entertainment Group Ltd (CAEG) in association with China Cultural Centre Sydney, presented by Ausfeng. They aim to introduce traditional and contemporary Chinese performing arts to audiences around the world. Since its inception in 2009 it has presented numerous inspirational works at venues across the globe.

The concert EAST MEETS WEST ORCHESTRAL EVENING will take place at Sydney Town Hall on Friday 9th July at  7.30pm.

Sydney Arts Guide has ten double passes to give away to the concert. Please email editor.sydneyartsguide@gmail.com with EAST VERSUS WEST CONCERT PROMOTION in the subject heading and please provide your mobile phone number and your postal address in the body of your email. Winners will be advised by email.

Featured image ; Top left- Angie Liu, Sharon Zhai. Bottom left Victoria Lamboum, Tony Lee, Sun Yi. Far right Conductor Guy Noble.