The finale of "National Excellent Symphony Works Exhibition", Shanghai Symphony Orchestra Harbin performs "Our World" work | Harbin, China
On August 19th, under the guidance of young conductor and assistant conductor Zhang Lu, the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra made its final appearance at the "National Excellent Symphony Works Exhibition" held by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism in Harbin with the commissioned work "Our World", showcasing the creative vitality of contemporary Chinese young composers and the artistic vitality of Chinese symphony works.
The exhibition brings together multiple symphony orchestras from 14 provinces across the country, with a total of 12 symphonic works selected. Recommended by the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism, the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra Committee has successfully selected four composers born in the 1980s, Huang Kairan, Zhang Wei, Yang Fan, and Zheng Yang, to jointly create "Our World".
As the oldest symphony orchestra in Asia, the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra has led every important historical stage of symphony development in China, witnessing and promoting every step forward in China's symphony music industry. The band not only introduces Western classics to Chinese audiences, but also uses music to play the Chinese voice and tell Chinese stories on the international stage.
Under the initiative of music director Yu Long, "Our World" revolves around the theme of "the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation". Four composers, Huang Kairan, Zhang Wei, Yang Fan, and Zheng Yang, use the broad musical perspectives of young musicians to depict the times. The work is divided into four movements: "Warmth China", "Speed China", "Happy China", and "Future China". It is not only a record of current life, but also a "letter" written for the future.
At the seminar on August 20th, Professor and composer Hao Weiya from the Central Conservatory of Music commented, "The works are full of exciting and energetic 'youthful feelings'. As a microcosm of the new generation of composers, they are brave enough to use the musical vocabulary of their time, express their inner feelings, and sincerely communicate with the audience. They observe the world from the perspective of young people, and write the magnificent chapter of contemporary China with heart, emotion, and effort. Not only does it leave people with emotional turmoil, but it also gives us confidence in the future of Chinese music." Professor Wang Ning from the China Conservatory of Music said, "The Shanghai Symphony Orchestra provides young composers with the opportunity and space for free creation. This has played a great role in the creation of new works in China." "The impact and motivation."
This time participating in the "National Excellent Symphony Works Exhibition", in addition to "Our World", the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra also selected two other heavyweight works commissioned by the orchestra in recent years. "The Father" created by young composer Yang Fan is one of the four new works commissioned by the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra to celebrate the centenary of the founding of the Communist Party of China. Through personalized musical vocabulary and creative techniques, the composer expresses respect for his parents and predecessors, and explains a "80s generation"'s understanding of faith and ideals. Yu Ji, a young conductor and composer, created the "Ode to the Silk Road", which outlines the local customs of the countries along the "the Belt and Road" with three movements of "Calling", "Traveling" and "Ode to the Silk Road", and depicts the expectation of "Multi cultural Connectivity and Integration" with notes rich in folk music characteristics of the countries along the "the Belt and Road".
The Shanghai Symphony Orchestra has always been committed to playing and promoting Chinese works. The orchestra recorded and published the album "Seventy Years of Chinese Symphony", systematically summarizing the development process of Chinese symphony music creation from 1949 to 2019. The Shanghai Symphony Orchestra performs a large number of Chinese works in every music season and on domestic and international tours. After the music director Yu Long took office, commissioned creators even embarked on a fast track. Since 2009, more than 20 ministries and commissions have successively produced works.
The Shanghai Symphony Orchestra has conducted beneficial explorations and innovations in the creation, promotion, and copyright models of commissioned works in multiple dimensions. The creation of "Sweet Morning" by John Correa, who was commissioned, pioneered the joint commissioning of Chinese and famous foreign bands; Several works jointly commissioned with the Chinese Philharmonic Orchestra, Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra, Beijing International Music Festival, etc., such as Zhao Lin's cello and sheng concerto "Du" and Liu Sora's symphonic dance "Da Nao Tian Gong", reflect the vastness and profoundness of China's excellent traditional culture. In 2021, the band was the first in China to open the copyright of commissioned works for the first time, sharing and co performing four new commissioned works to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, including "Ode to China", "Let's Run towards the Sea and Look up at the Starry Sky Together", "Father's Generation", and "Chasing the Waves of Heart".
Whether it is the works of Chinese composers such as Zhu Jian'er, Qu Wei, Ye Xiaogang, Chen Qigang, or the cross-cultural interpretations of China by foreign composers such as John Correa, Andy Baoqiu, Fazil Say, and Aaron Zigman, the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra continues to commission Chinese works. The relay performances of excellent bands both domestically and internationally, as well as the global dissemination both online and offline, have brought lasting vitality to these Chinese works.
