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march 14
Troy Savings Bank Music Hall Friday 8:00PM |
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Embracing Lost
and Ancient Worlds
This year’s American Music Festival focuses on ancient civilizations, including two works inspired by Chinese culture and one utilizing a biblical text. Soloist Wu Wei is the world’s leading exponent of the “Sheng,” the Chinese mouth organ. The Sheng is a startlingly beautiful instrument, somewhere between a church organ and a giant harmonica. Chinese-American composer Huang Ruo will create a piece inspired by ancient Chinese folk music. Also, American composer Eli Marshall, will evoke the world of Chinese Opera in his new work. Leonard Bernstein’s Symphony No. 1, “Jeremiah,” is one of the composer’s most beautiful early works and features a vocal finale, sung by our region’s own brilliant Mezzo Soprano, Lucille Beer. Also, Music Alive Resident Composer George Tsontakis is featured with a richly colored, short tone poem, October.
george tsontakis: October
huang ruo: Concerto for Sheng (World Premiere) Wu Wei, Sheng
eli marshall: Kan Xi (World Premiere)
bernstein: Symphony
No.1, “Jeremiah” Lucille Beer, Mezzo Soprano |
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Mezzo Soprano Lucille Beer has received acclaim for her performances in opera houses and concert stages around the world. She is widely praised both for her superb musicianship and for her distinctive timbre that critics describe as rare and memorable.
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| Sheng virtuoso Wu Wei began his study of the mouth-organ at fifteen. In 1993 he graduated as master-student from the internationally renowned Music-Conservatory of Shanghai. He has won the most prestigious national and international competitions for traditional Chinese music. |
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