Thursday, November 1, 2018 19 LIFE CHINA DAILY HONG KONG EDITION Young competitors strike the right note at gala event

By CHEN NAN [email protected]

A gala concert presented by 21 young musicians from both China and Germany The competition closed the third China Youth Music Competition. The encourages musical extravaganza was children to play held in the Pudu Temple in Beijing, a protected Ming instruments with Dynasty (1368­1644) cultural relic site, on Oct 27. other musicians.” Audiences enjoyed 12 rep­ ertories, including Johann Zhang Yong, founder of the Sebastian Bach’s Prelude China Youth Music Competition and Fugue in G minor played by 19­year­old pian­ ist Viviana­Zarah Baudis, servatory of Music. and Willson Osborne’s In 2014, Zhang met Bene­ Rhapsody For Bassoon dikt Holtbernd, the artistic played by 15­year­old Yang manager of the nonprofit Ye. arm of the German Music The China Youth Music Council in Munich, where Competition, launched in the Jugend Musiziert is 2015, is based on the German headquartered. Music Council’s renowned Sharing similar views Jugend Musiziert, the best­ about music and music com­ known music competition petitions, Zhang and Holt­ for young performers in Ger­ bernd decided to bring the many, which started in 1963. format of the Jugend Musi­ Thoughtful harmonies The first Chinese competi­ ziert to China. tion took place in 2016 in In the third year, German Beijing and Shanghai, soccer club Bayern Munich attracting more than 600 launched its collaboration A Beijing festival concert brings together leading musicians, who imagine applicants from across Chi­ with the China Youth Music na. Competition. ancient Chinese intellectuals’ spiritual lives, Chen Nan reports. According to Zhang Yong, Young musicians from the founder of the competi­ China and Germany gath­ he songs were meant interpretation, I have become tion, over 2,600 applicants ered at the museum of FC to make listeners interested in Chuang Tzu and from eight provinces across Bayern Munich at the Alli­ think about thinkers. am curious about how ancient China joined in the third anz Arena on Sept 11 to give Chinese­American Chinese people thought.” installment of this annual a concert as part of the third cellist T Yo­Yo Ma, pipa (lute) Last week’s Beijing concert event, double the number of China Youth Music Compe­ player Wu Man, sheng (Chi­ also featured the traditional applicants from last year. tition. The concert included nese flute) player Wu Tong and Tibetan folk song, Mei Ren, The third China Youth Music performances of Grand Duo Silk Road Ensemble musi­ which was arranged by Zhao Competition kicked off on Concertant Op. 85, for Flute cians joined the Hangzhou and performed by Chinese Sept 1 this year and, during or Violin and Guitar by Philharmonic Orchestra to soprano Lei Jia. the past two months, young Mauro Giuliani; Carl Maria stage a performance under the Other repertories included people from China and Ger­ von Weber’s Clarinet Con­ baton of Chinese conductor Yu Fanfare for Gaita and Suona many have held concerts, certo No. 1 in F­minor, Op. 73; Long on Friday to conclude by Cristina Pato, featuring had workshops and enjoyed the Chinese folk song Jas­ the 14­day Beijing Internation­ Pato on the bagpipes and Wu master classes in the two mine Flower; and the club al Music Festival. on the suona (a double­reed countries. anthem Star of the South. The concert featured com­ woodwind instrument), and “The competition encour­ “Football and classical poser Zhao Lin’s A Happy Chaugulbundi, a quartet of ages children to play instru­ music share lots of similari­ Excursion, a double concerto Persian fiddle, Western strings ments with other musicians. ties. Besides solid tech­ for pipa, cello and orchestra and South Asian tabla (a There is fun in cooperating niques, both football and that premiered with the same membranophone percussion with others, and technique is music need passion from lineup in Zhejiang province’s instrument), created by San­ not the only standard here, the players,” explains Rou­ capital, Hangzhou, on Oct 24. deep Das from India and Kay­ but the understanding of the ven Kasper, FC Bayern The three­movement piece han Kalhor from Iran. music as well,” says Zhang, Munich China’s managing is inspired by Taoist philoso­ Top: Chinese­American cellist Yo­Yo Ma plays with the Hangzhou Philharmonic Orchestra under the Ma staged a recital for his who studied pipa (a four­ director in Beijing, adding pher Chuang Tzu’s famous baton of conductor Yu Long in Beijing on Friday. Above: Ma gives a workshop with musicians from the first BIMF appearance in stringed Chinese plucked that both the China Youth essay of the same title. Silk Road Ensemble in Beijing on that day. PHOTOS BY JIANG DONG / CHINA DAILY 2004. This year marks the first instrument) for three years Music Competition and FC It reflects on ancient Chi­ time for him to join the Silk before learning the oboe. He Bayern Munich agree that nese intellectuals’ spiritual Road Ensemble at the annual came to Beijing in 1986 to sports and music education lives and connects them with of the search for carefreeness nect the past with the present The Silk Road Ensemble event. study at the affiliated middle play an important role in the contemporary world. and idealism. day, which enables us to slow has recorded seven albums, “I am happy to be back in school of the Central Con­ youth development. The first movement begins The Beijing International down and find inspiration.” including Sing Me Home, China,” he says. with vibrant timbres and Music Festival commissioned Zhao, who was born in which won the 2016 Grammy “There are many talented rhythms. Energetic harmo­ A Happy Excursion to cele­ Xi’an, Shaanxi province, in for best world music album. young musicians, who have nies and contrasts of the cello, brate its 21st anniversary. Yu 1973, rose to fame as a film Ma and Wu premiered been influenced by different pipa and orchestra depict founded the annual festival in composer just like his father, Zhao Lin’s double concerto cultures. I like working with ancient China. 1998. Zhao Jiping. for the cello and sheng, enti­ them because they are open­ Stringed instruments alone “This is an important work Wu, the sheng player, intro­ tled Duo, in 2013. The piece minded and imaginative.” accompany the cello and pipa by Zhao Lin that follows the duced Zhao Lin and Ma, and was inspired by the epic Chi­ The ensemble’s executive in the second movement, spiritual worlds of intellectu­ they began to play together in nese novel, Journey to the director, Eduardo Braniff, which is more peaceful and als from ancient to contempo­ the Silk Road Ensemble that West. The concerto’s US pre­ says: “We are excited to be portrays spiritual experiences rary China,” Ma says in Ma founded in 1998 to bring mier took place at Carnegie here because the Silk Road as interpreted through Chi­ Mandarin. together musicians of different Hall in 2015. Ensemble is basically born in nese poetry, calligraphy and The 63­year­old has record­ styles and backgrounds to “Zhao Lin has a deep under­ China. It is here that cultures painting. ed over 100 albums, 18 of exchange while observing standing of traditional Chi­ melt and people share their The third movement repre­ which have won Grammy their respective cultural heri­ nese culture,” Ma says. understanding of, and respect sents the present. The tempo Awards. tages. “He likes traditional Chi­ for, different cultures.” picks up again, and the music “Nowadays, we’re very busy Ma invited Wu to join the nese poetry in particular. I am Young musicians from China and Germany play at a concert in becomes more creative and and hardly think,” he says. ensemble when Wu toured getting old, but I am a child at Contact the writer at Beijing on Oct 27, the last day of the third China Youth Music expressive to convey the idea “With his music, we can con­ the United States in 1999. heart. Through his musical [email protected] Competition. PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY Vienna Philharmonic to visit China

VIENNA — There will be “an impressed by the performance these experiences have helped respected Chinese musicians prefer music with strong extremely excellent orchestral while attending the 2018 shape the world­famous whom children can look up to rhythms over the constant landscape in China”, with the Shanghai Grand Theatre New orchestra, says Froschauer. for inspiration. melody­based pieces, increasing number of talented Year’s Concert. During visits to China, During its 2018 China Tour Froschauer says, adding that musicians coupled with a Continued exposure to the Froschauer says he noticed from Nov 26 to Dec 2, the Vien­ the orchestra will select music strong public interest, Daniel world stage will also allow Chi­ that the public expresses a na Philharmonic will hold six that matches the Chinese audi­ Froschauer, chairman of the na to add finesse to musical keen interest in the cultural concerts in Tianjin, ence’s taste. Dvorak’s Overture Vienna Philharmonic, says in performances, Froschauer aspects of music. Moreover, Guangzhou and Shanghai. Carnival will be included in an interview. adds. they understand it well. For Froschauer, Welser­Most the coming tour. China is witnessing a boom Numerous highlights were Children in China are is the big star of the tour. The China’s classical music has in its Western classical music seen in the Vienna Philhar­ brought by parents to witness Vienna Philharmonic does not always impressed Froschauer scene, Froschauer says, adding monic’s history since its estab­ an orchestral performance, often have a home­grown con­ with its tonal diversity and that orchestras in China, like lishment in 1842, including something Froschauer sees as ductor. Welser­Most certainly richness in melody, such as the Shanghai Symphony ones when members played at a positive phenomenon. They adds an Austrian character to those in the Butterfly Lov­ Orchestra, are highly impress­ the premiere of renowned pie­ can then pick up the musical the team, says Froschauer. ers’ violin concerto. The Vienna Philharmonic performs in Shenzhen during a China ive. He cites Austrian conduc­ ces, such as Symphony No. 9 by instruments and try for them­ During last year’s visit, Chi­ tour in October last year. PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY tor Franz Welser­Most as being Ludwig van Beethoven. All selves. There are also many nese audiences appeared to XINHUA