East Meets West Chinese New Year Concert Saturday 28 February at 6.30pm Arts Centre Melbourne, Hamer Hall CONSULATE-GENERAL OF PR CHINA MSO EAST MEETS WEST IN MELBOURNE CONSORTIUM MINISTRY OF CULTURE OF CHINA PRINCIPAL PARTNER MAESTRO PARTNERS ASSOCIATE PARTNERS SUPPORTING PARTNERS FED SQUARE LINDA BRITTEN PwC FLOWERS VASETTE NAOMI MILGROM FOUNDATION UNIVERSAL GOVERNMENT PARTNERS MEDIA PARTNERS CHINESE NEW YEAR CONCERT PARTNERS CONSULATE-GENERAL OF PR CHINA IN MELBOURNE MINISTRY OF CULTURE OF CHINA LI FAMILY TRUST MSO EAST MEETS WEST CONSORTIUM OFFICIAL LANGUAGE PARTNER Welcome to East Meets West Chinese New Year Concert I am pleased to send my best I am pleased to welcome back Welcome to Hamer Hall for the wishes to everyone attending the Grammy award-winning composer- Melbourne Symphony Orchestra’s Melbourne Symphony Orchestra conductor Tan Dun to the East Meets West Chinese New Year Chinese New Year Concert, East Melbourne Symphony Orchestra for Concert. Following its inaugural Meets West. the celebration of 2015 Chinese concert last year, the MSO again Chinese New Year is a time to New Year. offers a superb evening of music gather with family and friends, enjoy Whilst the memory of last year’s marking the Chinese New Year with good food and to anticipate and marvellous concert under the helm an inclusive cultural celebration. celebrate the year ahead. of Tan Dun is still fresh, we have come The Victorian Government is proud As we welcome the Year of the to recognise its theme ‘East Meets to support the MSO, which plays an Sheep, it is an opportunity to West’ – arts have no boundary and important role in Victoria’s diverse acknowledge the achievements of serve to deepen cultural contact creative industry. Under the baton of the past twelve months, and to look and mutual understanding. It is award-winning Chinese conductor forward to a year of happiness and therefore significant for Tan Dun and and composer, Mr Tan Dun, this prosperity. his fellow artists to explore creative impressive international collaboration ways for this very purpose. For this demonstrates the rich cultural The Sheep symbolises success reason I lend my greatest support to heritage, diversity and creativity achieved through quiet fortitude. their commitment and efforts. that defines Victoria. This is true of the Australian-Chinese I would also like to applaud the The East Meets West Concert community which contributes so dedication of the Melbourne not only exemplifies Victoria and much to our national life. Symphony Orchestra and it China’s shared passion for the arts, China has been significant to successful collaboration with but also our strong friendship that Australia almost from our very Tan Dun, which set an excellent continues to grow through further beginning as a settled country. paradigm to promote cultural understanding and respect between exchanges. I congratulate their our cultures. Victoria is home to a Thousands of Chinese joined the gold achievement and look forward thriving Chinese community which rushes from the 1850s. There were to a grand show again to ring in makes a valuable contribution Chinese ANZACs at Gallipoli and the year of the Goat. to our State and enriches our on the Western Front. Today, China multicultural society. is our greatest trading partner, and I trust you will enjoy this night of our largest source of migrants and wonderful music which confirms Thank you to all who have supported international students. the friendship between the people the event. I wish all attendees a of China and Australia. happy, safe and prosperous Chinese In every part of our national life, New Year. Australians of Chinese ancestry have helped to build our modern nation. I wish everyone attending the East Meets West concert good health and prosperity for the coming year. Ma Zhaoxu Ambassador of the People’s The Hon Daniel Andrews MP Rebuplic of China to Australia Premier of Victoria The Hon. Tony Abbott, MP Prime Minister of Australia CHINESE NEW YEAR CONCERT 3 In the air of the Year of the Sheep Tonight, in welcoming you to the On behalf of the Melbourne festivity, the Melbourne Symphony second Chinese New Year Concert, Symphony Orchestra, I welcome Orchestra Chinese New Year Concert I point out that the year of the you to tonight’s Chinese New Year 2015 – the MSO’s annual event sheep is also known as the year Concert. presents once again an ‘East Meets of the goat. Whatever the animal, In 2012, when I took up my West’ cultural feature in this cultural though, the people born in this year appointment as the MSO’s Managing metropolis. are, like sheep (or goats), tender, Director, I was immediately struck by In collaboration with maestro polite, filial, clever, and kind-hearted, Melbourne’s astonishing and vibrant Tan Dun, the MSO has turned the with a special sensitivity to art and cultural diversity. beauty. Among notable sheep are Chinese New Year concert into an As such, last season we inaugurated annual cultural event and a shared Michelangelo, Mark Twain and Nicole Kidman. what is now an annual celebration celebration of artistic excellence, of the Lunar New Year. After all, following a great success in 2014. Chinese New Year has been an East and West have long been pillars The concert features great works intrinsic part of Melbourne’s cultural of this city’s social, economic and from Western and Eastern traditions. tradition since the city’s earliest days. cultural life. What better way to Tan Dun’s work of Nu Shu: The Last year, the Melbourne Symphony express Melbourne’s thriving global Secret Songs of Women exposes Orchestra honoured the Lunar New culture than through music? the audience to a the diversified Year with the first of what we hope Chinese culture of unique traditions. will become an annual celebration Tonight’s concert, as you will see, is a tribute to East and West. It is Chinese New Year is an auspicious – a natural linking of eastern and western music. conducted by the Chinese maestro occasion for family reunion and and composer, Tan Dun, and get-together among friends. As This concert recognises the diversity features some extraordinarily the Year of the Sheep unfolds, the and brilliance of music directly evocative and challenging music concert will bring us a joyous and related to, or inspired by, eastern – including, I am thrilled to say, one memorable experience. I believe themes. We are particularly of Tan Dun’s most ambitious and the cultural exchange will further delighted to welcome back the moving works. enhance the understandings and great Chinese composer, Tan Dun, friendship between our two peoples. who is conducting tonight’s concert. Our ambition is to secure the The program includes one of Tan place of these annual concerts as Dun’s most important recent works, among Australia’s most significant Nu Shu: The Secret Songs of Women. multicultural events. We are deeply In addition to other Chinese music, grateful to our event partners and the program contains Ravel’s Boléro supporters who help make this and Puccini’s immortal ‘O, mio initiative possible which this year Song Yumin babbino caro’, from Gianni Schicchi, includes ANZ, the East Meets West Consul General of the with Chinese soprano Bing Bing Wang. Consortium and the invaluable People’s Republic of China assistance of the Ambassador of It is an exciting and culturally diverse in Melbourne the People’s Republic of China to program. I hope you enjoy it. Australia MA Zhaoxu and Consul Special thanks to the Li Family Trust General of the People’s Republic of who have so generously supported China in Melbourne Song Yumin. this concert. I am delighted that this concert is To those sheep and goats and all the being broadcast to the rest of the other animals of the Chinese zodiac, nation on ABC Classic FM, as well as I warmly say, Gong Xi Fa Cai! through China. This fulfills one of the MSO’s most important functions: to be Australia’s cultural ambassador. Harold Mitchell AC André Gremillet Chairman Managing Director, MSO 4 MELBOURNE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA IN CONCERT MELBOURNE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA With a reputation for excellence, Adès, John Adams, Tan Dun, versatility and innovation, the Charles Dutoit, Jakub Hrůša, Mark Melbourne Symphony Orchestra Wigglesworth, Markus Stenz and is Australia’s oldest orchestra, Simone Young. The Orchestra has established in 1906. The Orchestra also collaborated with non-classical currently performs live to more musicians including Burt Bacharach, than 200,000 people annually, in Ben Folds, Nick Cave, Sting and concerts ranging from subscription Tim Minchin. performances at its home, Hamer The MSO reaches an even larger Hall at Arts Centre Melbourne, to its audience through its regular concert annual free concerts at Melbourne’s broadcasts on ABC Classic FM, largest outdoor venue, the Sidney also streamed online, and through Myer Music Bowl. recordings on Chandos and ABC Sir Andrew Davis gave his inaugural Classics. The MSO’s Education concerts as Chief Conductor of the and Community Engagement MSO in April 2013, having made his initiatives deliver innovative and debut with the Orchestra in 2009. engaging programs to audiences Highlights of his tenure have included of all ages, including MSO Learn, an collaborations with artists including educational iPhone and iPad app Bryn Terfel, Emanuel Ax and Truls designed to teach children about Mørk, the release of recordings the inner workings of an orchestra. of music by Percy Grainger and The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra Eugene Goossens, a 2014 European is funded principally by the Australian Festivals tour, and a multi-year cycle Government through the Australia of Mahler’s Symphonies. Council, its arts funding and advisory The MSO also works each season body, and is generously supported by with Principal Guest Conductor the Victorian Government through Diego Matheuz, Associate Creative Victoria, Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport Conductor Benjamin Northey and and Resources.