The Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra, a cultural icon for the city, will hold three concert tours in Beijing and Tianjin starting on June 13, bringing the world premiere of newly commissioned repertoire to traditional music enthusiasts.
The tour will raise the curtain with a duet featuring the sheng, an ancient Chinese instrument, and the Western pipe organ, which share similarities in their use in religious rituals.
Shen Yuan, recognized as the most internationally influential organist in China, and Chen Yi-wei, Principal Sheng of the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra, will perform at the Beijing Art Centre.
Artistic Director and Principal Conductor for Life of the Orchestra, Yan Huichang, mentioned at a media banquet that the historical evolution of these two instruments carries profound significance.
This meticulously arranged performance will showcase ancient Chinese art engaging in a distinctive cultural dialogue with contemporary global artistic development, he added.
The second tour will feature a performance at the National Centre for the Performing Arts, transporting the audience to the glorious dynasties of ancient China—Zhou, Qin, Han, and Tang—with the introduction of a brand new repertoire.
Scheduled at Tianjin Concert Hall on June 18, the last performance of the tour will feature the folk music of the Mongolian minority and a fantasia on the Qin dynasty’s Terracotta Army.
Meanwhile, the Orchestra will present the eco-friendly Chinese string instrument huqin covered in snakeskin material.
Xu Hui, Acting Erhu Principal of the Orchestra, explained that the timbre of the instruments becomes shrill in dry climates with traditional snakeskin, while the sound turns muffled in a humid environment.
The innovative snakeskin made of polyester film addresses this issue by delivering a standardized timbre, which is especially critical when over a dozen huqins perform together.
As a leader in traditional music, the Orchestra has performed over 1,700 times at international festivals and prestigious venues since 2019.
