Program

Béla BARTÓK: Romanian Folk Dances, Sz. 56, BB 68
GUO Wenjing: Chou Kong Shan, concerto for bamboo flute and orchestra, Op. 18 No.2
Bamboo flute soloist: Wei Sijun
Ludwig Van Beethoven: Piano Concerto no. 1 in C major, op.15
Pianist: Wang Yalun
Alexander BORODIN: Polovtsian Dances, from Prince Igor

The China Philharmonic Orchestra

The China Philharmonic Orchestra (CPO) was founded in Beijing in May 2000. For the past nineteen years CPO has achieved an astonishing leap forward and won wide attention home and abroad. CPO sets an example for the infinite potential of Chinese cultural renewal and economic boom, as witnessed by the rest of the world.

Yet one cannot comprehend CPO’ s accomplishment without perceiving its exciting and enormous social frame. A large number of artists work together to fulfill their dreams with zealous passion and determination. This makes it possible to lead the great symphonic music course in China to a better and merrier destination. ‘Spring’ s command, sweet necessity (Lenzes Gebot, die susse Not)’, as put by Hans Sachs in Richard Wagner’ s Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg. With the motto “to be the best orchestra in China, leading in Asia and renowned in the world” set at the very beginning, CPO is bound to unveil a new chapter in the symphonic music scene.
And so be it and how true is sweet necessity. In the spring of 2009, CPO was named Most Inspiring Orchestras by Gramophone online, joining the glittering array of ten fellow orchestras including Berliner Philharmoniker, London Symphony Orchestra and New York Philharmonic Orchestra.

For that moment CPO has prepared for nineteen years with more than 500 programmes, presenting over 2,000 music pieces and attracting millions of audience. It has toured the country and the globe by more than half a million miles, an equivalent of circling the world 20 times.

China Philharmonic Orchestra was founded on the basis of China Broadcasting Symphony Orchestra and administered by the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television. Its opening concert was held on December 16, 2000 conducted by Artistic Director and Chief Conductor Long Yu. As one of the youngest and most dynamic symphony orchestras in China, CPO takes pride in professionalism, a role model to be followed by its Chinese peers.

In the past nineteen years CPO has presented numerous premieres that are virtually nowhere to be found elsewhere in China and forged its own style through extensive artistic involvement. On October 21st 2001 Philip Glass’ Cello Concerto, commissioned by CPO, got its world premiere at Poly Theatre in Beijing. This is the first commissioned work by an oversee composer from music establishment in China ever.

CPO is the active and frequent advocate of Chinese music in the global sphere. The orchestra is involved in a wide range of tours including Taipei, Taichung, Hsinchu and Kaohsiung in 2001, North and Latin America in 2002, a world tour in 2005 covering 22 cities and many following tours to Europe and the United States of America.

Artistic Director & Chief Conductor: Long Yu

As one of the most distinguished Chinese conductors with an established international reputation, Maestro Long Yu is currently Artistic Director and Chief Conductor of the China Philharmonic Orchestra, Music Director of the Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra, Music Director of the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, Artistic Director of the Beijing Music Festival and Music in the Summer Air, MISA, as well as Principle Guest Conductor of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra.

Long Yu is one of the conductors who conducts the world top-class orchestras most frequently, he has appeared with a prestigious list of leading orchestras and a lot of opera companies around the world, including the New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, Montreal Symphony Orchestra, Washington National Symphony, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre de Paris, Bamberg Symphony Orchestra, Hamburg State Opera, Rundfunk-Sinfonie orchester Berlin, Rundfunk Sinfonie Orchester Leipzig, Munich Philharmonic Orchestra, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Hong Kong Philharmonic, Tokyo Philharmonic and Singapore Symphony Orchestra.

Bamboo flute: Wei Sijun

Mr. Wei Sijun is a young bamboo flute teacher at the Folk Music Department of Shanghai Conservatory of Music. He is a masters graduate in the bamboo flute. Presently he is a member of the Professional Committee of Shanghai Musicians Association for the bamboo flute and acts as deputy head of Tang Junqiao Bamboo Flute Orchestra of Shanghai Conservatory of Music.

From a young age, Wei Sijun, systematically received his training at both the primary and middle school affiliated to Shanghai Conservatory of Music. He also obtained his Bachelor and Master's degrees from the same institution. During this period, he studied under the tutelage of the famous flute performer and educator, Professor Tang Junqiao. He also received further guidance from Messrs. Zhuang Zhiwei, YU Xunfa and Jiang Guoji. In 2007 Wei Sijun was awarded the first prize at the "Song Ting Cup" ( Bamboo Flute Invitational Tournament) in the junior professional group category. In the same year he received the second place in the first “CCTV National Instrumental Music TV Competition”. He was the recipient of the gold medals at the Second National Bamboo Flute Invitational Competition (2012) and the Hong Kong International Bamboo Invitational Competition (2013). Mr. Wei was also the winner of silver medals in chamber music at the Ninth Golden Bell Prize Competition (2013), in the solo flute youth group category during the Fifth National Youth National Musical Instrument Contest (2014) and at the National and International Jiangnan Sizhu Invitational Gathering.  In addition, Wei Sijun claimed the first prize for his performance at a competition in composition organized by Shanghai Conservatory of Music.

Mr. Wei Sijun has been invited to conduct numerous workshops, concerts and related exchange activities with various well-renowned institutions, including the Sydney, the UK Royal, Xinghai, Wuhan, Harbin and Zhejiang Conservatories of Music, the Shandong and Guangxi Academies of Art and the Northwest Normal University to name a few. He also participated in a number of bamboo flute cooperative performances with Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra, Taiwan Little Giant Silk Bamboo Orchestra, Tianjin National Orchestra, Shandong Song and Dance Theater, Harbin and Wuhan Conservatories of Youth Music and many others. Mr. Wei was also a participant in the performance of Shanghai chapter of the 2016 G20 Summit held in Hangzhou.

He was also responsible for leading the Tang Junqiao Bamboo Flute Orchestra of Shanghai Conservatory of Music, which participated in the 6th National Youth National Musical Instrument Educational Exhibition held under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture of the PRC, for which he received the highest prize, Wenhua Award for his effort in 2017. In 2018 Wei Sijun led his orchestra to participate in the first national performance of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and received the honor of being one of the top ten national excellent national orchestras. Finally, in 2018 he was also involved in playing the leading role Ling Lun in the national drama titled "Flute Melody"，which was held at Shanghai Conservatory of Music.

Pianist: Serena Wang

Serena Wang (Wang Yalun) has been described by the San Francisco Chronicle as “undeniably promising” and already possesses extensive concretizing experience at her tender age. At the age of six, Serena made her concerto debut performing Haydn’s the 11th Piano Concerto in D major with conductor Zhang Guoyong leading the Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra at the Third Beijing International Piano Festival.

Since then, she has appeared with several orchestras, including China Philharmonic, National Center for Performing Arts (NCPA) Orchestra (Beijing), Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra, Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Orquesta Juvenil Universitaria Eduardo Mata, Israel Philharmonic, Hong Kong Philharmonic, Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra. She has worked with eminent conductors including Zubin Mehta, Gustavo Rivero Weber, Yu Long, Zhang
Guoyong, Lu Jia,Yang Yang and Zhu Qi Yuan.

First Prize winner at the China 2nd National Youth Piano Competition in Xiamen (2010) and the 15th Asia Chopin Piano Competition in Japan (2014), she has performed in Russia, Finland, Italy, Switzerland, Israel, United States, Singapore, China, Japan, Taiwan and Hong Kong. She made her debut recording on Channel Classics at the age of 9, featuring solo works by Mozart, Chopin, Liszt, Poulenc, Shostakovich, Tan Dun and Zhaoyi Dan. The recording received wide attention and
met critical acclaims.

During 2016-17 season, she was the invited soloist on China Philharmonic’s North American Tour, playing Beethoven’s Concerto No. 1 in Vancouver, San Francisco and Los Angeles. She also performed the same concerto with Shanghai Symphony Orchestra in Shanghai and Taipei. At the 54th International Piano Festival of Bergamo and Brescia in Italy, she appeared with Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra in Mendelssohn’s Concerto No. 1. In May 2017, she was invited to perform in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa with Maestro Zubin Mehta and Israel Philharmonic, followed by an invitation to play with Yu Long and Hong Kong Philharmonic in Hong Kong and Shenzhen. She alsoperformed Grieg Concerto with Zhang Guoyong and Qingdao Symphony.

For 2017-2018 season, Serena will make her second appearance at the International Piano Festival of Bergamo and Brescia in 2018. She is invited by Zubin Mehta to perform two concerts on Israel Philharmonic Orchestra’s China tour in Suzhou and Harbin (China). Serena also makes her debut this season with New York Philharmonic and London Philharmonia Orchestra, playing Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy in c minor, along with return engagements with Guangzhou Symphony and Kunming Symphony.

On May 3rd 2019, at the invitation of Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, Serena Wang is to play with Martha Argerich the Carnival by Charles-Camille Saint-Saëns under the baton of Charles Dutoit conducting Shanghai Symphony Orchestra.

Born in San Francisco in 2004, Serena began her piano study with Ms. Sumi Nagasama in 2008, she returned to China with her family and continued her study with Prof. Dan Zhaoyi in Chengdu in 2010. In 2016 Serena moved to live in Boston and studied with Prof. Meng-Chieh Liu. In 2018, Serena Wang entered the pre-college of Julliard School in New York, where she studies with Prof. Yoheved Kaplinsky.