2017 JOURNAL 4
“NYO-China project offers the Chinese and American young artists an opportunity to interact and make friends with each other. Such mutual understanding and friendship helps lay the foundation for a strong state-to-state relationship.”
Zhang Qiyue Ambassador & Consul General of the People’s Republic of China in New York
“Through NYO-China, these young artists will use their astounding musical ability to take on the world! This will be a historic orchestra and a cultural phenomenon to share with both China and the United States.”
Xiaogang Ye Head of NYO-China Acclaimed Composer President of the Chinese Musicians Association
4
Welcome
Several years ago, I was fascinated by a story from Stefan Zweig about the unorthodox birth of “Messiah” by George Frederic Handel. On August 21, 1974, the German composer received a letter from Charles Jennan asking that the phoenix musicae, or “great genius of music”, would elevate his libretto into a piece that would be befitting of the Messiah himself. Rather than be honored by this request, he thought him a scoundrel having assumed that his old friend had come to mock him after years of financial ruin and public indifference. After a sleepless night of ruminating the career he had and the future that might have been, he went back to the letter in his study and began reading the poem. He was taken aback, later remarking that the words were like a divine mandate coming directly from the angels. The passion to create music which roused him from an otherwise debilitating stroke several years earlier once again ignited his bones. Within 24 days, the legendary oratorio was born.
In the summer of 2015, I supported Carnegie Hall’s NYO-USA for their concert tour of China. Throughout, I was moved by Sir Clive Gillinson’s vision to enable young American musicians to play on some of the world’s most prestigious stages. To ensure that our next generation of Chinese musicians would not be devoid of these opportunities, we quickly began building a counterpart orchestra of our own. With the formidable effort and creativity of a few Yale University students, as well as the wisdom of estimable figures such as Dean Robert Blocker from the Yale School of Music, we were able to construct an orchestral program befitting of its NYO heritage. There is a common saying among composers and musicians that they do not create music because they want to, but rather because they need to. So it could be said with Handel, and so it could be said with the numerous people who have contributed to this project, including and especially our 105 exceptional students. It is this unifying and unfeignable passion for music that will consecrate the performances in New York and China. And for this, I could not be more eager to share our music with the world.
Mei He NYO-China Founder Board Member, US-China Youth Education Solutions Foundation
1
Table of Contents
2
3 4 5
About NYO-China Introducing NYO-China What is NYO?
6 7 8 10 11
Training Residency About the Residency Musical Excursion at Yale Other Events Teaching Artists
12 13 14 15
Concert Tour About the Tour Featured Artists The Program
16 17
The Orchestra The Class of 2017
24 25 26 28
Partners Media Productions Carnegie Hall Steinway & Sons
30 31 32
Supporters US-China YES Foundation Guo Pei
33 34 35 36 37
Endorsements Endorsers Ambassador Zhang Qiyue Mayor Bill de Blasio Governor Andrew Cuomo
38 39 40 41
Acknowledgements Cross-Cultural Groups Teachers Instituions
42 43
Team About the Team
ABOUT NYO-CHINA
Introducing NYO-China Mission To provide China’s finest young musicians access to superior training and performance opportunities, empowering them to serve as ambassadors for their country and their generation on a global stage.
Summary The first annual National Youth Orchestra of China is proud to present an international concert tour of the United States and China during the summer of 2017 inaugurated by a performance in Carnegie Hall on July 22. For two weeks in July, over one hundred Chinese musicians aged 14 to 21 years old gathered at East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania to participate in an intensive two-week training program under the guidance of renowned conductor Ludovic Morlot, artistic director Jindong Cai, and a suite of worldclass teaching artists. After two weeks of rehearsals, master classes, workshops, and cultural excursions, the orchestra debuts in New York City with a historic concert featuring soloist Yuja Wang. After this thrilling premiere, the orchestra embarks on a three-city concert tour of China featuring soloist Olga Kern. After applying through a competitive virtual audition process, these talented musicians have the opportunity to showcase their refined skills in front of a truly global audience. Moreover, to ensure that no excellent musician is ever turned away from NYO-China’s opportunities for lack of funds, the entire program – including housing, tuition, and travel – is offered at absolutely no cost to the students.
4
What is NYO? National Youth Orchestras (NYOs) have existed around the world for decades. For example, NYO-Great Britain was started in 1948, NYO-Canada in 1960, the South African NYO in 1964, and the Singapore NYO in 1979. Several of these non-governmental orchestras have the same structure as NYO-China, including a training residency and international concert tour. Others serve as a stepping stone between studying music and joining a prestigious professional orchestra. Some of the programs even offer courses for orchestral musicians all year long. NYO-USA, the inspiration for NYO-China, was started by Carnegie Hall in the summer of 2013 and was the first program of its kind in the United States, offering a training residency and international performance opportunities alongside renowned professional musicians, all at no cost to the students.
1
Despite their differences, all the world’s NYOs ultimately have the same core mission: to represent their countries using the language of music and to establish an ever-greater standard of musical excellence. Now is the time for China to have an NYO of its own.
2
NYOs of the World • Armenia
• Denmark
• Ireland
• Norway
• Scotland
• Switzerland
• Austria
• France
• Italy
• Poland
• Singapore
• Turkey
• Canada
• Germany
• Kenya
• Portugal
• South Africa
• Uruguay
• Cyprus
• Great Britain
• Netherlands
• Romania
• Spain
• USA
1, 2
Photo Credit to Chris Lee
5
TRAINING RESIDENCY
About the Residency NYO-China is proud to host its training residency at East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania (ESU). The campus is located amid the beautiful Pocono Mountains and is a relatively short drive from New York City. Its Fine and Performing Arts Center includes the Smith-McFarland Theatre, the Cohen Recital Hall, and many other practice spaces and rehearsal rooms. Additionally, its campus setting and suite-style dormitory arrangement enables NYO-China to not only be a great opportunity for musical enrichment, but also a time to bond and form deep relationships with fellow musicians and future colleagues.
While there, students participated in full orchestra rehearsals, sectionals, master classes, and private lessons led by artistic director Jindong Cai and the suite of world-renowned teaching artists. However, the residency experience included much more than rehearsals and sectionals. The students attended seminars and workshops led by guest speakers such as Juilliard’s Alexander Technique Instructor Lori Schiff and improvisation expert Eugene Friesen. Some also participated in recreational and chamber music activities coordinated by the resident advisors. All in all, NYO-China’s training residency served as a rewarding and thrilling experience for the students, preparing them for both the concert tour and for future educational and professional opportunities in music.
7
Musical Excursion at Yale
“These young musicians are going to play in the great concert halls of this world, working and making music with some of the most celebrated artists across the globe. This will be a transformative experience for them.” Robert Blocker The Henry and Lucy Moses Dean of Music Yale University
8
The Yale School of Music is one of twelve professional schools at Yale University, a world-renowned institution of higher learning. Established in 1894, the School of Music has since counted legendary artists and teachers such as Paul Hindemith and Krzysztof Penderecki among its faculty ranks. The Henry and Lucy Moses Dean of Music at Yale University, Robert Blocker – also a highly-esteemed concert pianist and Steinway Artist – has heralded the Yale School of Music into a new age of renown and prestige. On account of a generous donation by Stephen Adams in 2005, the school’s three professional degree programs are offered tuition-free to the students each year. Furthermore, the state-of-the-art Adams Center, which opened in January 2017, includes new rehearsal spaces for full orchestras and additional individual practice rooms.
Among the school’s many student ensembles and collaborations are the Yale Cellos, established by Aldo Parisot, and the Yale Percussion Group, started by Robert van Sice, both of which travel internationally. The school’s Yale Philharmonia is led by principal conductor Peter Oundjian and has performed everywhere from Carnegie Hall to the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing. In addition, the Yale in New York concert series, led by clarinetist David Shifrin, regularly brings ensembles comprised of Yale faculty, students, and alumni to Carnegie Hall’s storied stages. On July 15, the students of NYO-China had the chance to visit Yale’s campus, attend a lecture by Dean Robert Blocker, visit the Yale Collection of Musical Instruments, and experience many of the other resources that the university has to offer. NYO-China is grateful for this experience and for the invaluable support of its Senior Advisor for Global Artistic Affairs, Dean Robert Blocker.
history
Other Events Recording with WQXR | July 14, 2017 During NYO-China’s training residency, the orchestra recorded a show for WQXR hosted by radio broadcaster and music critic Bob Sherman. The program included a piece played by the full orchestra, chamber music, and several interviews with the students. WQXR is the most-listened-to classical music station in the United States, with an average quarter-hour audience of 63,000. Cross-Cultural Forum with NYO-USA | July 16, 2017 The National Youth Orchestra of the USA (NYO-USA), the brainchild of Carnegie Hall and an inspiration for NYO-China, held its own training residency at the State University of New York at Purchase this July. Comprised of American musicians ages 16 to 19, NYO-USA performed in Carnegie Hall the evening immediately preceding NYO-China’s debut. During this forum, the students from both ensembles had the opportunity to meet each other and partake in a joint rehearsal before attending each other’s concerts at one of the world’s finest venues. Over the course of their time together, the students of both NYO-USA and NYO-China were able to bond over a shared love of music and participate in meaningful cultural exchange. From the Top Radio Broadcast | July 21, 2017 NYO-China is honored to have been featured in National Public Radio’s highly esteemed youth music show, From the Top. The matinee performance at East Stroudsburg University included a performance by the full orchestra and several chamber music performances. The show is hosted by acclaimed pianist Christopher O’Riley, who also had the chance to perform alongside the students. Cultural Excursion at New York City | July 23, 2017 Following the orchestra’s Carnegie Hall debut, the students had an entire day to enjoy the sights and sounds of New York City before heading to China to continue their concert tour. Students were able to visit places such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the One World Observatory where they were given exclusive tours.
10
boe
Teaching Artists Flute
Oboe
Clarinet
Bassoon Flute Flute
French Horn Oboe Oboe
Clarinet Clarinet
Flute Bassoon Bassoon
Oboe French FrenchHorn Horn
Clarinet
3
Trumpet
Trombone
Jindong Cai | Artistic Director
Frank Huang | Violin I
Stanford University Professor of Conducting
New York Philharmonic Concertmaster
FluteBassoon
Clarinet
Oboe French Horn
Violin
Clarinet
Bassoon
Violin
Tuba
Percussion Trumpet Trumpet
Harp Trombone Trombone
Qing Li | Violin II Cello Violin Violin
Viola
Bass Violin Violin
Tuba Tuba
Percussion Percussion Trumpet
Jay Liu | Viola
Viola Viola
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Principal Second
Cello Cello Violin
Trombone Harp Harp
Tuba
Bass ViolinBass
Viola
San Francisco Symphony Associate Principal
French Horn
4
mbone
Tuba
olin
Viola
Trumpet Percussion
Trombone Harp
Tuba
Percussion
Harp
Flute
Qiang Tu | Cello
DaXun Zhang | Double Bass
Sibei Weng | Flute
New York Philharmonic
University of Texas at Austin
Macao Orchestra Principal
ViolinCello
Violin Bass
Viola
Cello
Bass
Flute Oboe
Clarinet Oboe
Clarinet Bassoon
Yao Guang Zhai | Clarinet
Bassoon French Horn
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Principal Trumpet
Trumpet Trombone
Trombone Tuba
Violin
Violin Violin
Violin Viola
Percussion Tuba
Percussion Harp
5
Flute
FluteOboe
Clarinet Oboe
Liang Wang | Oboe New York Philharmonic Principal Trumpet Trombone Trumpet
Violin
ViolinViolin
Flute
Oboe
Trumpet
Trombone
3, 4, 5
Photo Credit to Chris Lee
French Horn Bassoon Oboe
Clarinet French Horn
Bassoon
French Horn
Cello Bass
Flute
Oboe
Trumpet
Trombone
Fei Xie | Bassoon
Xiao-Ming Han | French Horn
Guang Chen | Trumpet
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Principal Tuba Percussion Harp
German Radio Philharmonic Orchestra Principal
Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing
Trombone
Viola Violin
Flute Clarinet
Trumpet
Tuba
Wei Zhu | Trombone Bremer Philharmonic Principal Violin Violin
ClarinetBassoon Flute
Viola Cello
Trumpet Tuba
Viola Cello Violin
OboeBassoon
Trombone
Percussion
Trombone Percussion
TubaHarp
Percussion
Harp
Cello Bass Violin
ViolaBass
Cello
Bass
Flute Clarinet French Horn
Oboe Bassoon
Clarinet Flute French Horn
Bassoon Oboe
Tuba Trumpet Harp
Percussion Trombone
Trumpet Tuba Harp
Haiyu Wang | Tuba Violin
Viola
Jacobs School of Music at IndianaCelloUniversity Violin
Trombone Percussion
Violin
French ClarinetHorn
Harp Tuba
Gert Mortensen | Percussion Cello Violin
Bass Viola Violin
Cello Violin
French Horn
Percussion
Harp
Jieyin Wu | Harp
The Royal Danish Academy of Music
Viola Violin
Bassoon
Concert Harpist Bass Viola
Cello
Bass
Bass
11
Violin
CONCERT TOUR
About the Tour Following its debut at Carnegie Hall, NYO-China’s concert tour takes the ensemble to several venues throughout mainland China, giving students the ability to share their music and what they have learned with their home country. Carnegie Hall in New York | July 22, 2017 Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage Conducted by Ludovic Morlot | Featuring Yuja Wang Beijing Concert Hall | July 26, 2017 Music Hall Conducted by Ludovic Morlot | Featuring Olga Kern Shanghai Oriental Art Centre | July 28, 2017 Concert Hall Conducted by Ludovic Morlot | Featuring Olga Kern Suzhou Culture and Arts Center | July 29, 2017 Grand Theater Conducted by Ludovic Morlot | Featuring Olga Kern
13
Featured Artists Each year, the members of NYO-China have the opportunity to perform with some of the world’s most talented musicians. In addition to representing the highest standard of classical performance art, these individuals demonstrate a remarkable passion for music education. In preparing the musicians of NYO-China and ultimately performing with them on stage, there can be no better mentors than these extraordinary artists.
Ludovic Morlot Ludovic Morlot is a bright star among a new generation of international conductors, serving as the principal conductor of the Seattle Symphony and a frequent guest conductor of the orchestras of Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York. As conductor of the Seattle Symphony, Morlot has won two Grammy awards. Prior to his tenure at the Seattle Symphony, Morlot served as the conductor-in-residence at the Orchestre National de Lyon (ONL) under David Robertson from 2002 to 2004 where he led ONL’s two youth orchestras.
Yuja Wang
6
Yuja Wang is one of the world’s most sought-after pianists and was named Musical America’s 2017 Artist of the Year. Born in Beijing, Wang started playing the piano at the age of six and, only one year later, began studying at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. In 2001, she was named a Steinway Artist and in 2002, she began studying with Gary Graffman at The Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. Among her many other accolades are the 2006 Gilmore Young Artist Award, the 2009 Gramophone Classic FM’s Young Artist of the Year Award, and the 2011 ECHO KLASSIK Young Artist of the Year Award.
Olga Kern First prize winner of the Rachmaninoff International Piano Competition at seventeen, Olga Kern is a laureate of many international competitions. She jumpstarted her US career with her historic Gold Medal win at the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in Fort Worth, Texas as the first woman to do so in more than thirty years. In 2016, she served as Jury Chairman of both the Seventh Van Cliburn International Amateur Piano Competition and the first Olga Kern International Piano Competition, where she also holds the title of Artistic Director.
14
6
Photo Credit to Chris Lee
The Program Zhou Long: The Rhyme of Taigu Zhou Long’s The Rhyme of Taigu explores the spirit of the Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE), a golden age of Chinese civilization with a distinctive musical character. The Rhyme centers on the Taigu (fat drum) tradition, which later evolved into modern Japanese Taiko drumming, reinterpreting it in terms of the Western harmonic and instrumental language. Opening with three drummers beating a slow rhythm on the chu (medium drum) and odaiko (large drum), the piece continues on to evoke the guanzi, a double-reed instrument used in Zhihua temple music, in a cadenza-like clarinet solo which itself develops into a lyrical mid-section including several imitations in the woodwinds. A horn entrance signals a gradual acceleration leading to a thrilling climax punctuated by an explosive duel between brass and percussion.
Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1 When Tchaikovsky showed the finished draft of his Piano Concerto No. 1 to its indicated dedicatee, Nicolai Rubinstein informed him the work was rubbish and ought to be scrapped. Tchaikovsky responded that he “wouldn’t alter a single note” and went on to publish that same draft within the year, in November 1875. The piece has since gone on to become one of the most performed works in the entire piano literature, beloved for its expansive scope and inspired romanticism. After five measures of introduction, the first movement bursts into a stunning D Major theme which is scuttled after just three repetitions. Instead, the listener is drawn to consider more contemplative refrains – a plaintive Ukranian folk melody and a French chansonette in the middle movement – before the finale’s electrifying dash to the finish.
Dvořák: Symphony No. 9 Upon his arrival in New York City in 1892, Antonin Dvorak brought with him a fierce belief in the importance of musical nationalism and a compositional style deeply rooted in the folk music of Czechoslovakia. The fifty-one-year old composer quickly fell in love with the African and Native American spirituals he encountered, famously proclaiming that ‘the future music of this country must be founded on [these] melodies,’ and as quickly out of love with the American intelligentsia for dismissing them as primitive. The result, one year later, was this Ninth Symphony “From the New World,” an ode to American folk tradition tinged with Dvorak’s longing for the music of his own country.
15
THE ORCHESTRA
The Class of 2017 5 3
1 3
2
3
8 3
1 4
8 6
9 7
3
3
4 6
3
1
Lorem ipsum
2
105
Chinese citizens
53
18
average age
52
in high school
in college
79
26
in China
in Asia, Europe, and North America
12
9
1
53 52 females
males
36
institutions, 21 in China and 15 in US, Germany and Singapore
25 3
hometowns
continents 17
Violin Qian Chang
Fengwan Chen
Hanyu Feng
Lingxiao Feng
Hunan Xinghai Conservatory of Music
Anhui Music Middle School Affiliated to the Shanghai Conservatory of Music
Henan Middle School of the China Conservatory of Music
Jiangsu Middle School of the Xinghai Conservatory of Music
Yiqing Fu
Chen Gu
Molin Han
Yunmao Kang
Guangdong Shenzhen Art School
Tianjin Affiliated Middle School of Tianjin Conservatory of Music
Bihan Li
Hanke Li
Hao Li
Ying Li
Hubei Bard College Conservatory of Music
Guangdong Central Conservatory of Music Middle School
Beijing Central Conservatory of Music Middle School
Sichuan Soochow University School of Music
Yuqi Liang
Jianghui Ma
Mingyuan Ma
Xiaoman Qi
Beijing Beijing National Day School
Xiaoran Qu United States Montgomery Blair High School
18
Jiangsu Shandong Music Middle School Affiliated to Central Conservatory of Music the Shanghai Conservatory of Music Middle School
Tianjin Liaoning Affiliated Middle School of Tianjin Music Middle School Affiliated to Conservatory of Music the Shanghai Conservatory of Music
Zili Sha
Xiachu Song
Anhui Hebei Music Middle School Affiliated to Oberlin Conservatory of Music the Shanghai Conservatory of Music
Liaoning Central Conservatory of Music
Jieming Tang Anhui The Juilliard School
Violin
Hanbo Wang
Liyuan Xie
Kexin Ye
Jiaqi Yu
Shiman Yu
Jiangsu San Francisco Conservatory of Music
Jilin Oberlin Conservatory of Music
Henan Central Conservatory of Music
Chuxuejie Zhang
Mingen Zhang
Mingzhe Zhang
Shaobo Zhang
Hunan San Francisco Conservatory of Music
Guangdong The Carl Maria von Weber College of Music
Jilin Music Middle School Affiliated to the Shanghai Conservatory of Music
Henan Central Conservatory of Music
Qin He
Yuan Tian
Caiwenjing Wang
Heilongjiang Central Conservatory of Music Middle School
Henan Central Conservatory of Music
Kun Yan Hunan Middle School of the Xinghai Conservatory of Music
Juchao Zhao
Jiangsu Shanxi Affiliated Middle School of Tianjin Music Middle School Affiliated to the Shanghai Conservatory of Music Conservatory of Music
Yifan Zhou
Anhui Jiangsu Music Middle School Affiliated to the Music Middle School Affiliated to Shanghai Conservatory of Music the Shanghai Conservatory of Music
Viola
Haoyang Chen
Juyuan Feng
Shishi Gong
Hunan Xi’an Conservatory of Music Middle School
Jiangsu Music Middle School Affiliated to the Shanghai Conservatory of Music
Shandong Central Conservatory of Music Middle School
Guizhou Music Middle School Affiliated to the Shanghai Conservatory of Music
19
Viola Wenhan Jiang
Weilan Li
Yuchen Lu
Zitian Lyu
Jiangsu Soochow University School of Music
Guangdong Bard College Conservatory of Music
Anhui New England Conservatory
Heilongjiang Music Middle School Affiliated to the Shanghai Conservatory of Music
Lin Miao
Bochun Wang
Zirui Wang
Shike Yuan
Shandong Central Conservatory of Music Middle School
Shanghai Shanghai Conservatory of Music
Shanxi Central Conservatory of Music
Zhejiang Shanghai Conservatory of Music
Xiyao Zhang
Siwei Zhu
Jiangsu Music Middle School Affiliated to the Shanghai Conservatory of Music
Hunan Renmin University of China
Cello 20
Shicong Li
Zhihong Li
Shangwen Liao
Yunbei Liu
Guangxi Central Conservatory of Music Middle School
Guangdong Mannes School of Music at The New School
Fujian The Juilliard School
Heilongjiang Music Middle School Affiliated to the Shanghai Conservatory of Music
Ziyue Ma
Shuni Mao
Yu Pei
Linging Piao
United States Ward Melville High School
Heilongjiang Central Conservatory of Music Middle School
Hubei Shanghai Conservatory of Music
Jilin Shanghai Conservatory of Music
Cello
Mingyue Zhao
Xinyue Zhu
Yuanyujie Zhu
Beijing Peking University
Henan Central Conservatory of Music
Zhejiang Music Middle School Affiliated to the Shanghai Conservatory of Music
Xinjiang Central Conservatory of Music Middle School
Jintao He
Wenqi Ji
Boyang Kang
Zhenyuan Lu
Zhejiang Soochow University School of Music
Beijing Central Conservatory of Music
Tianjin Idyllwild Arts Academy
Shanghai Music Middle School Affiliated to the Shanghai Conservatory of Music
Xinyun Tu
Mingyuan Wang
Jinglin Zhu
Qian Zu
Hebei Shanghai Conservatory of Music
Hunan China Conservatory of Music
Bass
Yujing Shan
Guangdong Guizhou Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music Central Conservatory of Music at the National University of Singapore Middle School
Flute
Yajie Wang
Zishu Xie
Mengyi Xu
Guangdong Professional Children’s School
Xinjiang Mannheim University of Music and Performing Arts
Sichuan Oberlin Conservatory of Music
Guangxi China Conservatory of Music
Yijin Wang
Ning Zhang
Lirui Zheng
Huibin Zou
Hubei San Francisco Conservatory of Music
Shandong The Juilliard School
Guizhou Central Conservatory of Music Middle School
Shandong Cleveland Institute of Music
Clarinet
Yiding Chen
21
Oboe Yongqi Lu
Jiadi Pei
Yirui Zhu
Zhejiang Shanghai Conservatory of Music
Hubei Humen Foreign Language School
Guangdong Mannes School of Music at The New School
Anhui Music Middle School Affiliated to the Shanghai Conservatory of Music
Chaoyang Jing
Yanjiao Lyu
Ye Yang
Yuanying Zhang
Shanxi Central Conservatory of Music Middle School
Shanxi Beijing Xiqu Vocational Institute of Arts
Sichuan Chengdu No. 7 Yucai Middle School
Gansu Central Conservatory of Music Middle School
Yehaoran Gao
Yicheng Gong
Zhaohang Hu
Lei Jin
Xinjiang Central Conservatory of Music
Shanghai Music Middle School Affiliated to the Shanghai Conservatory of Music
Shandong Jinan Foreign Language School
Beijing Beijing Yuren Secondary Vocational School
Beili Ouyang
Yanjun Zhuo
Shanghai Music Middle School Affiliated to the Shanghai Conservatory of Music
Shanghai Mannheim University of Music and Performing Arts
Yunze Lyu
Shanhui Sun
Wentao Xiao
Huanyi Yang
Shandong Shandong Qingdao No. 7 Middle School
Henan Bard College Conservatory of Music
Beijing Central Conservatory of Music
Beijing Walnut Hill School for the Arts
Bassoon
Ming Liu
French Horn Trumpet 22
Hongyi Gu
Jiajun Liu
Shanghai Jiangsu Music Middle School Affiliated to the Music Middle School Affiliated to Shanghai Conservatory of Music the Shanghai Conservatory of Music
Shandong China Conservatory of Music
Bass Trombone
Trombone
Puyuan Chen
Tuba Haonan Liao Guangdong Cleveland Institute of Music
Percussion
Siyuan Gao
Weihong Hu
Zhengze Liu
Chencheng Mi
Jiangsu Music Middle School Affiliated to the Shanghai Conservatory of Music
Jiangxi Central Conservatory of Music
Beijing Central Conservatory of Music
Shanxi Central Conservatory of Music
Bingchen Xin
Zhiyi Zhou
Anhui Shenzhen Art School
Chongqing Central Conservatory of Music Middle School
Harp Xinyue Zhang Shanghai Music Middle School Affiliated to the Shanghai Conservatory of Music
23
PARTNERS
Media Productions In order to popularize classical music among new audiences in both the United States and China (including and especially young people), NYO-China is dedicated to bringing the ensemble beyond the concert hall and into as many living rooms and classrooms as possible.
Concert Recording with Medici.tv Medici.tv is the world’s leading classical music channel, offering viewers on-demand access to over 1800 programs and 3000 original works, including concerts, operas, ballets, documentaries, and master classes. More than 100 live events are broadcast each year in partnership with some of the world’s most prestigious venues, festivals, and competitions, such as Carnegie Hall, the Salzburg Festival, and the International Chopin Piano Competition. Its programs are available to music lovers in over 180 countries, accessible through a wide variety of digital platforms. NYO-China is proud to have Medici.tv record and broadcast their international debut with Yuja Wang at Carnegie Hall to audiences in not only the United States and China, but across the entire world.
Documentary by Christine Choy Christine Choy is widely regarded as one of the foremost Chinese-American directors working in documentary cinema today. As a filmmaker, she has received numerous accolades, including an Academy Award nomination for Best Documentary Feature for her 1987 film Who Killed Vincent Chin?, and a Best Cinematography nomination at Sundance Film Festival. Choy has also taught at prestigious universities like Yale and Cornell, and is currently a professor at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts where she teaches film direction and documentary production. Christine Choy will be accompanying and documenting NYO-China’s inaugural class throughout their training residency and concert tour, ultimately delivering a feature-length film about the project and its students later this year.
25
“Aim for the highest.� Andrew Carnegie
National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America | Photo Credit to Chris Lee
Carnegie Hall 7
“The growth of music in China is astounding. It is going to be a central part of what defines music in the 21st century world. In that narrative, NYO-China will be a beacon of excellence and something everyone aspires to.” Sir Clive Gillinson Executive and Artistic Director Carnegie Hall
7
Photo Credit to Todd Rosenberg
Carnegie Hall, located in Manhattan and the site of over 250 concerts a year, has earned a legendary status among international performance venues. At its opening night in 1891, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky conducted, leading off a roster of incredible and world-renowned artists to perform in its halls over the decades. Carnegie Hall’s three performance venues – the Main Hall (Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage), Zankel Hall, and Weill Recital Hall – have been witness to the best that the world of music has to offer. Although it is now a National Historic Landmark, the building was, in the early 1960s, intended for demolition. Luckily, thanks to the efforts of violinist Isaac Stern and others, the hall was saved and continues to be a global, American, and New York City icon. Named for the Scottish-American businessman and philanthropist who funded its construction, Carnegie Hall represents the pinnacle of Andrew Carnegie’s multi-faceted contributions to American society. Starting off as a bobbin boy making the equivalent of $36.36 a week in Allegheny, Pennsylvania, Carnegie quickly worked his way up until he had revolutionized the steel industry and made his fortune. He retired early and eventually gave away 90% of his fortune to philanthropic causes. Carnegie’s legacy of hard work, intelligence, and skill make him an ideal namesake for an institution that places the world’s most excellent artists on a world stage. His dedication to making enrichment opportunities, from libraries to musical performances, available to the public is further reflected in the modern-day Carnegie Hall’s mission and proceedings. Carnegie Hall’s NYO-USA and NYO2, both extraordinary music education and performance opportunities offered to American students at no cost to them, are just two examples of how the modern-day organization is giving back. NYO-China is honored to hold its international premiere at Carnegie Hall. It is also deeply appreciative of the help it received from its staff throughout all stages of the project’s development, as well of Sir Clive Gillinson’s motivating insight during NYO-USA’s warmly received 2015 China Tour that China merited and deserved an NYO of its own.
excellence
27
Steinway & Sons
“NYO-China gives students an opportunity to perform for large audiences what they have practiced for so long. There’s nothing quite like a concert experience, and it will live within them for many years to come.” Ronald Losby CEO Steinway & Sons
Heinrich Engelhard Steinweg, later called Henry Steinway, started making pianos with his family in the mid-nineteenth century in Seesen, Germany. When he moved to New York in 1850, he brought eight of his nine children with him, leaving son C.F. Theodor Steinweg to continue making pianos in Seesen. The first piano made by the newly formed Steinway & Sons was given the number 483, in honor of the 482 pianos the family had previously built in Germany. Due to the company’s early success at trade shows, it was not long before Steinway & Sons became one of the most trusted and prestigious concert piano brands. During his first and only American tour, renowned Russian pianist and composer Anton Rubinstein—at the encouragement of William Steinway—performed exclusively on Steinway pianos, becoming one of the first major artists to endorse the company. Since the company’s founding, it has received 126 patents related to piano design and countless awards. Now, 98% of concertizing pianists elect to perform on Steinway’s instruments and there are more than 1,600 Steinway Artists, including NYO-China soloists Yuja Wang and Olga Kern. With a strong commitment to craftsmanship and innovation, Steinway transformed his talent for piano-building from a small-scale master-toapprenticeship operation to a globally recognized and highly respected musical institution. Today, the Steinway piano is internationally considered to be a standard of excellence. NYO-China is proud to have Steinway & Sons as a supporting institution and their pianos featured exclusively throughout the concert tour.
28
perfection
29 4
SUPPORTERS
YES Foundation
“NYO-China will help solidify our upcoming generation as one comprised of genuinely global citizens. For young listeners and players from both the United States and China, music will be the language of their friendship.” Sabrina Xu President US-China YES Foundation and NYO-China Project Director
The US-China Youth Education Solutions (YES) Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing relationships between young people in the United States and China through various education services. As a steadfast supporter of cultural exchange projects, they hope to meet the emerging needs of young people who soon will become our next generation of global citizens. Their initiatives also strive to ensure that students from diverse ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds have more equitable access to high-quality learning opportunities. The National Youth Orchestra of China is one such project that the YES Foundation is supporting. Because of their generosity, NYO-China is able to provide its superior training and performance opportunities to any young Chinese musician who is talented and hard-working enough to be admitted, regardless of their personal capacity to otherwise pay for such a program. Besides the organization’s evident support of the arts, the YES Foundation also recently led a successful health initiative with the Children of China Pediatrics Foundation (CCPF) to provide medical care to orphans living in impoverished regions of China. The YES Foundation is also pursuing education research partnerships with the Harvard Graduate School of Education and the Teachers College at Columbia University, with contributions being used to fund research on the mental health issues faced by students studying abroad.
generosity 31
Guo Pei “These young artists will be able to pursue their craft on a truly global stage, privileged with the unmatched opportunity to use music as a means of expressing both themselves and their country to the rest of the world.” Guo Pei Couture Designer and TIME Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2016
32
In late 2016, NYO-China commissioned acclaimed Chinese fashion designer Guo Pei to create a series of vests that would serve as the centerpiece of the orchestra’s official uniform for 2017. Based in Beijing, her fashion style borrows heavily from traditional Chinese imperial court design. She rose to prominence in China when her pieces were featured at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, as well as the annual CCTV New Year’s Gala. In November 2009, her “One Thousand and Two Nights” collection debuted to considerable acclaim during China Fashion Week in Beijing.
Shortly after, she served as the costume designer for the blockbuster film The Monkey King, for which she was nominated for the Hong Kong Film Award in Best Costume and Make Up Design. In 2015, Rihanna famously appeared on the red carpet for the New York Met Ball wearing a canary yellow floor-length dress with a large circular train, edged with yellow colored fur and embroidered with silver floral patterns. The dress, which took over two years and approximately 50,000 hours to complete, weighed about 55 pounds and required a three-person entourage to help hold. The piece rapidly became popular on American social media and was also featured on the front page of Vogue, making Guo Pei a recognizable name among Western audiences. In Spring 2015, her work was featured at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York as part of its “China: Through the Looking Glass” exhibition. Guo Pei was recently named in 2016 as one of Time Magazine’s “World’s 100 Most Influential People”.
ENDORSEMENTS 4
4
Endorsers Danielle Accettola
Eric Ashenberg
Fred Baxter
Robert Blocker
Director US-China Youth Education Solutions Foundation
Founder and President Ashenberg Law Group
Former NFL Player and Super Bowl Winner New England Patriots
The Henry and Lucy Moses Dean of Music Yale University
Andrew Cuomo
Bill de Blasio
James Garner
Mimi Gates
Governor of New York and Former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
Mayor of New York City and Former Public Advocate of New York City
Former President United States Conference of Mayors
Former Trustee The Yale Corporation
Sir Clive Gillinson
Gary Graffman
Guo Pei
Mei He
Executive and Artistic Director Carnegie Hall
Legendary Pianist and Former President The Curtis Institute of Music
Acclaimed Fashion Designer and Founder Rose Studio
Chairman Wailian Overseas Consulting Group
Yue-Sai Kan
Gary Locke
Herbert London
Ronald Losby
Emmy Award-Winning Television Host and Entrepreneur
Fmr. Governor of Washington, Secretary of Commerce, and US Ambassador to China
President London Center for Policy Research
President and Chief Executive Officer Steinway & Sons
Robert Martin
Frank Mazurco
Chien Chung Pei
Joseph Shuldiner
Director Bard College Conservatory of Music
Former Executive Vice President Steinway & Sons
Chairman of the Board of Trustees China Institute
Former Assistant Secretary Department of Housing and Urban Development
Tan Dun
Xiaogang Ye
Shirley Young
Zhang Qiyue
Academy Award-Winning Composer and Commissioned Composer for NYO-USA 2015
Acclaimed Composer and President Chinese Musicians Association
Cultural Associate of the Committee of 100 and Chairman of the US-China Cultural Institute
Ambassador and Consul General of China in New York
34
35
THE CITY OF NEW YORK OFFICE OF THE MAYOR NEW YORK, NY 10007
July 22, 2017
Dear Friends: I am delighted to welcome everyone as the National Youth Orchestra of China makes its international debut at Carnegie Hall. New York’s phenomenal creative energy has long inspired and attracted artists from around the globe. Modeled after the National Youth Orchestra of the United States, NYO-China brings together gifted young Chinese musicians for a summer residency program in the U.S. and offers workshops, masterclasses, and performance opportunities. Tonight, this talented ensemble will engage an enthusiastic audience as it kicks off its inaugural international tour with a concert at Carnegie Hall, one of the world’s most iconic venues. As my administration works to ensure that all New Yorkers can experience the diverse and dynamic artistic landscape of the five boroughs, I commend everyone associated with NYO-China for their efforts to foster crosscultural exchange, nurture the next generation of performing artists, and unite people of all backgrounds through the power of music. On behalf of the City of New York, congratulations to the artists being featured tonight. I extend my best wishes for an evening of wonderful performances and continued success. Sincerely,
Bill de Blasio Mayor
36
37
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 4
Cross-Cultural Groups NYO-China has been fortunate to receive the institutional support of several of the world’s foremost organizations dedicated to strengthening understanding and friendship between the peoples of the United States and China.
China Institute The China Institute is a nonprofit educational institution based in New York City, founded in 1926 by a group of distinguished American and Chinese educators including John Dewey, Hu Shih, Paul Monroe, and Kuo Ping-Wen. Its mission is to advance a deeper understanding of China through programs in education, culture, business, and art in the belief that cross-cultural understanding strengthens our global community. Chartered by the Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York in 1944 as a school of continuing education, its language and cultural school is also the oldest educational center of its kind in the United States. More generally, the China institute is the oldest bi-cultural non-profit organization in the United States that is devoted exclusively to China.
Committee of 100 The Committee of 100 is a national leadership organization of prominent Chinese Americans in business, government, academia, and the arts. Founded in 1990 by famed architect I.M. Pei and world-renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma, the Committee has served for over 25 years as a high level bridge in the US-China dialogue by fostering regular exchanges with the leadership of Beijing, Taipei, and Washington. C100 members are leading US citizens of Chinese descent who leverage their collective influence and resources to advance twin missions of promoting the full participation of Chinese Americans in all fields of American life, and encouraging constructive relations between the peoples of the United States and Greater China.
39
Teachers Jingzhi An
Danan Liang
Caroline Stinson
Luis Baez
Jian Lin
Zhen Su
Min Cao
Dahai Liu
Yasuhito Sugiyama
Edward Caroll
Gang Liu
Minghong Sun
Guang Chen
Nian Liu
Ian Swansen
Han-Jui Chen
Xiao Liu
Sherry Sylar
Xi Chen
Mengda Lu
Liwei Tan
Franklin Cohen
Bing Luo
Shen Tan
Lei Fan
Xu Luo
Weijian Tang
Yuan Fang
Igor Malinovsky
Jean Michel Tanguy
Gregory Fulkerson
Yi Man
Steven Tenenbom
“When I listen to the extraordinary students at Curtis, I hear the bright future of classical music. Now, NYO-China is helping their young Chinese counterparts contribute to that same narrative but for audiences everywhere.”
Hua Gao
Guennadi Mouzyka
Milan Vitek
Wenning Guan
Charles Neidich
Jingqiong Wang
Holly Hamilton
Ranran Ni
Keju Wang
Xianguang Han
Yizhen Ni
Shaowu Wang
Rong He
Yue Qi
Don Weilerstein
Wei He
Samuel Seidenberg
Yang Wen
Junxia Hou
Xidi Shen
Carol Wincenc
Yuanfu Huang
Li Sheng
Lu Xu
Brian Johnson
Fred Sherry
Chu Yi-Bing
Gary Graffman Legendary Pianist and Former Director and President The Curtis Institute
Kim Kashkashian
Paul Silverthorne
Bing Yu
Dali Li
Joel Smirnoff
Jiamin Yuan
Dan Li
Shibin Song
Jason Zhang
Jiwu Li
Stephanie Song
Jie Zhang
Lansong Li
Yang Song
Ti Zhang
Songyang Li
Yi Song
Binyou Zhou
Wa Li
Yin Song
Jun Zhu
Weigang Li
Alexa Still
Mu Zhu
40
Institutions China
Overseas
Central Conservatory of Music
The Juilliard School
Shanghai Conservatory of Music
New England Conservatory
China Conservatory of Music
Bard College Conservatory of Music
Xinghai Conservatory of Music
Cleveland Institute of Music
Tianjin Conservatory of Music
Oberlin Conservatory of Music
Xi’an Conservatory of Music
San Francisco Conservatory of Music
Soochow University School of Music Peking University
“I am very moved by this initiative to create the National Youth Orchestra of China, and am sincerely looking towards their performance. I eagerly await for when they can show the world the sounds of China.” Feng Yu President Central Conservatory of Music
Idyllwild Arts Academy Mannes School of Music at The New School
Renmin University of China Walnut Hill School for the Arts Beijing National Day School Professional Children’s School Beijing Yuren Secondary Educational School Beijing Xiqu Vocational Institute of Art Shenzhen Art School Humen Foreign Language School
Montgomery Blair High School Ward Melville High School The Carl Maria von Weber College of Music Mannheim University of the Performing Arts
Jinan Foreign Language School Chengdu No. 7 Yucai Middle School
Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music
Shandong Qingdao No. 7 Middle School
41
TEAM 4
About the Team Administrators
Senior Advisors
Vincent Accettola
Sabrina Xu
Managing Director
Project Director
• President and CEO, Athena Education Group • Yale University, ’16 BS; Harvard University, ’17 EdM
• President, US-China YES Foundation • University of British Columbia, ‘16 BS
Nicholas Brown
Paige Breen
Director of Project Development
Director of Operations and Logistics
• CTO, Athena Education Group • Yale University, ’16 BS
• COO, Athena Education Group • Yale University, ’16 BS
Peggie Zhong
Hsuan-Fong Chen
Communication Coordinator
Artistic Coordinator
• Project Coordinator, Athena Education Group • Columbia University, ’16 MA
• The Juilliard School, ’11 BM • Yale University, ‘13 MM & ‘14 AD
Danielle Accettola
Frank Mazurco
Senior Advisor for Project Execution
Senior Advisor for Strategy and Planning
• President, WL Global Corp. • Director, US-China YES Foundation • Vice President, PHM Affiliates, Inc. (1992-2013)
• Executive Vice President, Steinway & Sons (Retired) • Founding Member and Consultant, Musical Instrument Museum (MIM)
Robert Blocker
Shirley Young
Senior Advisor for Global Artistic Affairs
Senior Advisor for International Strategy
• The Henry and Lucy Moses Dean of Music, Yale University
• Chairman, US-China Cultural Institute • Cultural Associate, Committee of 100 • Corporate VP, General Motors (1988-1999)
Eric Ashenberg ESQ and CPA Senior Advisor for Legal and Finance • Founder, Ashenberg Law Group
Specialists
Steven Li
Beata Moon
Lead Designer
Artistic Liaison
• Senior Designer, Information Builders • Pratt Institute, MS & MFA
• Teaching Artist at The Juilliard School, Lincoln Center, and the New York Philharmonic • The Juilliard School, BM & MM
Aaron Shim Lead Software Developer
Wei Zhou
• Software Engineer, Microsoft • Yale University, ’16 BS
• President of Weiber Consulting
Director of Public Relations
43
Salutations
When I was seven years old, I had the privilege of attending my first concert – one where a newly discovered pianist in his late teens named Lang Lang was performing at the Washington DC residence of Yang Jiechi, then the Chinese Ambassador to the United States. I was not old enough to remember the name of the piece that was played, or even the composer who wrote it. What is clearly anchored in my memory was the effect that the young virtuoso had on the audience. This was a room filled with some of the most influential dignitaries from both China and the United States – individuals separated by different languages, cultures, and systems of government. Still, the music that emanated from that singular Steinway had a disarming effect on all of them. For the duration of that concert, and I’m sure for many hours afterwards, they were all connected by their shared appreciation for the tremendous beauty that humanity could produce, rather than separated by the artificial boundaries that ordinarily define our lives.
44
The students who comprise the inaugural National Youth Orchestra of China represent some of best that China has to offer. Suggested by their talent and confirmed by their sweat, they are uncannily equipped to serve as ambassadors for their country, their music, and their generation. I am confident that their work throughout the tour will touch audiences in the same way that the guests at the ambassador’s residence were moved so many years before. With the help of all those who made this program possible, including and epsecially our guest conductor Ludovic Morlot, our soloists Yuja Wang and Olga Kern, our suite of exceptional teaching artists, Sir Clive Gillinson and Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute, Dean Robert Blocker and the Yale School of Music, Xiaogang Ye and the Chinese Musicians Association, and our irreplaceable founding management team, these young musicians have been forged into one of the world’s most extraordinary youth ensembles - one that will assuredly inspire many more to come. Vincent Accettola Managing Director, NYO-China
“NYO-China will bring people together through the common language of music. It will help break down the barriers that exist between countries and promote understanding of each other’s culture and history.”
Gary Locke Former US Ambassador to China & Governor of Washington
p h o to g r a p h y
Designed by 4
WWW. NYOCHINA .ORG
Address: 810 7th Ave, 20th Floor, New York, New York 10019 | Telephone: (646) 759-3637 Facebook: NYOChina | Twitter: @NYOChina | WeChat: NYO-China | Weibo: NYO-China 4