Cheng Yu and the UK Chinese Ensemble musicians worked with composer Barnaby Taylor to create music for this 6 part TV documentary for BBC 2. It will be shown on Sunday evenings on BBC2.
11th
May –
Episode
1: Heart of the Dragon18th May – Episode 2: Shangri-La
25th May – Episode 3: Tibet
1st June – Episode 4: Beyond the Great Wall
8th June – Episode 5: Land of the Panda
15th June – Episode 6: Tides of Change
See the Projects page for more information.
The musicians from the UK Chinese Ensemble have once again been working with US composer Randy Edelman on another major Hollywood film – The Mummy. This is the fourth film music project on which our musicians have worked with the same composer. The music is significant in the film and “is longer then the actual film, with over 140 minutes music’ said Randy. This Hollywood major blockbuster action film will be released on 1 August to coincide the China Olympic 2008.
Starring: Jet Li, Maria Bello, Brendan Fraser, John Hannah, Michelle Yeoh, Russell Wong, Luke Ford, Anthony Wong Chau-Sang, Isabella Leong, Tian Liang
See the Music recorded for films and TV for more information.
Cheng Yu has been invited to give a pipa recital for the exhibition
"Heaven on Earth: Missionaries and the Mathematical Arts in 17th century Beijing"
Venue:
Museum of the History of Science
University of Oxford
Broad Street
Oxford OX1 3AZ
Time: 6:00–8:00pm
Venue:
Horniman Museum
100 London Road
Forest Hill
London SE23 IPQ
Times:
Performance 1: Gallery Square, contemporary music, 12–2pm
Performance 2: The Conservatory (concert) 2:00–4.30pm
Tickets: Free of charge, Tel. 020 86991872, email info@horniman.ac.uk, website www.horniman.ac.uk
Venue:
Van Emden Theatre (HUMSS)
The University of Reading
Whiteknights
Reading
Berkshire RG6 6AA
Further information: Tel. 0118 378 5256, website http://www.rdg.ac.uk/music
The Yin-Yang Chinese-Western Ensemble (UK Chinese Ensemble and the Chamber Music Company)
Contemporary music by Chinese and non-Chinese composers
Date: May/June 2008 (TBC)
Venue: (TBC)
Venues:
WORKSHOP
Brady Arts and Community Centre
192-196 Hanbury Street, London E1 5HU
Time: 11am–12pm
CONCERT
Wilton’s Music Hall
Grace’s Alley
Wellclose Square
London E1 8JB
Pre-concert Chinese Tea Ceremony: 6-6.30pm
Concert: 6:45–7:45 pm
Ticket Information: 020 7377 1362, email: tickets@spitalfieldsfestival.org.uk, website: www.spitalfieldsfestival.org.uk
Venue:
St Mary’s Church
Ashford, Kent
TN30 6TJ
Opening Time: 7:00pm
Our Chinese musicians have been collaborating with Grand Union to present performances combining Eastern and Western musical elements.
Venue:
Christ Church,
Commercial Street
London E1 6LY
Spitalfields Festival: 020 7377 1365
Time: 7.30pm, 18 June, 2008
Venue:
Kingsford Community School and Language College
Kingsford Way
Beckton
London E6 5JG
Tel: 020 7476 4700
Time: 10:00-11:00am, 21 June 2008
Essex Jiangsu Festival 2008-2009 Launch
House of Commons (invited guests)
Palace of Westminster
Time: 4:00-6:00pm 23 June
Venue: Lancaster City Hall
Time: 1:00–2:00pm
Ticket Information: free of charge
Tel: +44 (0)1524 582857,
Email info@lancaster.gov.uk
Web site: www.lancaster.gov.uk/artsdevelopment
Organised by Asian Music Circuit, there will be China Day classes on music, story telling and calligraphy to pupils of various ages.
Sydenham School
Dartmouth Road
London SE26 4RD
The Quartet has been invited by the Swedish Chamber Music Festival to give concerts as well as workshops.
Lycka Kammarmusik Festival
Billa Solgården
S-360 43 Åryd
Sweden
Details: www.lyckafestival.com
Following the successful sell-out tours in Manchester, Paris and the USA, this show comes to London’s Opera House for the first time since its launch in 2007. This multimedia production is directed by Mr Chen Shizheng, the music is by Damon Albarn (Blur front singer) and the digital arts are by Jamie Hewlett. Albarn and Hewlett are the artists behind the award-winning animated band Gorillaz.
Venue:
Royal Opera House
Covent Garden
London, WC2E 9DD
020 73044000
Times:
Wed 23 July: 7.30pm
Thurs July 24: 2.30pm and 7.30pm
Fri 25 July: 2.30 and 7.30
Sat 26 July: 2.30 and 7.30pm
www.royalopera.org
Venue:
Buxton Festival
3, The Square
Buxton
Derbyshire SK17 6AZ
Time: 10:00pm
Ticket Information: £8, £10, £16, Box Office Phone: 0845 127 2190, Email: boxoffice@buxtonopera.co.uk
Invited by The National Trust, the Silk and Bamboo Ensemble will perform two concerts in the natural beauty of Stourheard Garden.
Venue:
The Pantheon Temple, Stourhead Garden
The National Trust, Stourhead Estate Office, Stourhead
Near Warminster
Wilshire, BA12 6QD
Time: 25 and 26 July, 7.30pm
Details: www.nationaltrust.org.uk
The Chinese Music Summer School has been running successfully since 2003, organised by Asia music circuit with musicians from the UK Chinese Music Ensemble. This year’s Chinese Music Summer School will give five full days of expert tuition on Chinese instrumental music. It will include master classes on the guqin (Chinese 7-string zither) with guqin master Professor Zeng Chengwei (Sichuan Conservatory of Music, China), pipa (Chinese lute) with pipa virtuoso Dr Cheng Yu, and erhu (Chinese fiddle) with erhu soloist Hu Bin. It will be a rare opportunity to learn and explore Chinese music in the UK. Classes are open to all takers, beginners and advanced. Please contact Ginger on 020 8742 9911 or email her at ginger@amc.org.uk.
Venue:
Gwyl Pontardawe Festival
Parc Ynysderw
Pontardawe Leisure Centre
Ffordd Parc Ynysderw
Pontardawe
Swansea SA8 4EG
Time: 9:00am–10:00pm
Ticket Information: 01792 830 200, Email: info@pontardawefestival.com, Website: www.pontardawefestival.com
China has 56 different minorities, each with its own unique culture. For the 2008 Notting Hill Carnival, China Arts has invited 10 pairs of brides and grooms from China who will wear the beautiful traditional wedding costumes specific to their particular Chinese minority. As part of the carnival parade, the couples will skilfully perform different dances to express the great variety of Chinese culture. The performances will be accompanied by live traditional wedding music.
Venue: Notting Hill
Time: 10:00am–6:00pm
Ticket Information: Free
The Shanghai City God Monastery Daoist Music Ensemble
Venue:
Brunei Gallery Lecture Theatre,
School of Oriental and African Studies
University of London,
Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square,
London WC1H 0XG
Time: 7:00pm–9:00pm
Ticket Information: contact Dept of Chinese Studies, SOAS on 020 7898 4892 or email Jane Savoy on js64@soas.ac.uk
Please note the change of date.
The Shanghai City God Monastery Daoist Music Ensemble
Venues: TBD
Venue: Various venues (TBC)
Venue:
The British Museum
Great Russell Street
London WC1B 3DG
Time: 6:30pm – 9:00pm
Venue:
The Sage Gateshead
St Mary's Square
Gateshead Quays
Gateshead, NE8 2JR
Venue: Younger Hall, St Andrews, Fife, Scotland KY16 9AL
Time: Friday, March 14th, 7:30 pm
Free Lecture-demonstration on Chinese Music
Speakers
Maestro Yan Huichang (Artistic Director, Principle Conductor of Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra) with
Dr Cheng Yu (Artistic Director, UK Chinese Music Ensemble, SOAS pipa and guqin teacher)
Guest Musicians: Wong Ching (pipa) ,and Feng Siusin (vocal)
Content
A study of the heritage and evolution of traditional Chinese instrumental music through a comparison between traditional Chinese music ensembles and the full-sized modern Chinese orchestra. (Recordings and video will be shown)
Venue: Room G52, SOAS, University of London, Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square, London WC1H
Time: Wednesday 12 March 2008, 2-4pm
Venue:
The Great Court
British Museum
Great Russell Street
London WC1B 3DG
Time: 6:30am–9:00pm
Web site: www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk
Venue:
The British Museum
Great Russell Street
London WC1B 3DG
Time: 6.30pm–9:00pm
Web site: www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk
Venue:
The Great Court
British Museum
Great Russell Street
London WC1B 3DG
Time: 6:30-9:00pm
Bai Ling
Shadow Puppet Show Chinese New Year UK Tour, February 2008Invited by China Arts (UK), here was a rare opportunity to see the Bai Ling Shadow Box Show Troupe as they tour the UK for the first time during Chinese New Year February 2008. This is one of the finest Shadow groups in China. They had already performed in France, Germany, Italy, Austria, the United States, and Japan to a rapturous reception, and achieved extraordinary popularity there.
Shadow puppet box shows first appeared in Beijing around the 15th century during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). It is a popular traditional theatre genre that combines singing, acting and dramatic movement performed by characters exquisitely carved out of leather. All the characters are operated by highly skilled artists behind a screen with live musical accompaniment, which gives a colourful and vivid silhouette effect. The troupe brought a specially designed programme for both children and adults. It was great fun to watch and a privilege to be able to appreciate an authentic Chinese art.
Dates:
3rd February: Harrow, London
8th February: South Bank International School: 13:00-13:30, 14:15-14:45
9th February: British Museum: 16:00-17:00, 20:00-21:00 (free)
9th February: Marylebone Theatre
10th February: Victoria and Albert Museum (daytime, free)
15th February: Ann Bernhardt Nursery School: 13:30-14:30
17th February: Tower Hendon (East London)
19th February: Foreign & Commonwealth Office: 19:00-20:00
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Venue:
Liverpool Philharmonic Hall
Hope St.
Liverpool L1 9BP
Opening Time: 7:30 pm
Venue:
The Great Court
British Museum
Great Russell Street
London WC1B 3DG
Time: 6:30 –9:00pm
Venue:
Clare Hall, University of Cambridge
Time: All day
This concert was a high-profile talent showcase on a substantial scale by 12 of the best UK-based professional Chinese musicians performing collectively, including the award-winning group The Silk String Quartet. The concert demonstrated twenty different Chinese instruments, many of which are rarely heard or seen in the UK, such as the guqin zither, xun clay ocarina, and the xiao vertical bamboo flute. The concert also featured the 5-stringed pipa lute, which was lost in the Tang dynasty (8th century), and Cheng Yu who won three major British awards for her project to recreate this instrument with music based on that period. The evening will highlight music from the time and culture of the First Emperor. New compositions on contemporary Chinese instruments provided a present-day counterpoint to our presentation of early Chinese music.
The concert was in two halves: the first featured music and instruments from ancient times; the second contemporary and new music. It included two premières “The King of Qin Destroys the Formation” – (5 stringed pipa with Chinese orchestra) and “Spring Festival Prelude”.
Venue:
BP Lecture Theatre
Clore Education Centre
The British Museum
Great Russell Street
London WC1B 3DG
Web site: British Museum web site
Time: 7:30pm
Venue:
Buxton Festival
3, The Square
Buxton
Derbyshire SK17 6AZ
New in its form and style, unique in its instrumentation and presentation, the all-female Silk String Quartet is the first and the only Chinese String Quartet in the UK and Europe. The four group members have all been trained since childhood on their instruments. The group combines traditional and modern, Chinese and Western music in a fresh and creative way. The repertoire included a wide range of new and traditional compositions performed in the Quartet’s own style.
Time: 7:00pm
Venue:
Brunei Gallery Lecture Theatre
SOAS, University of London
Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square
London WC1H 0XG
Web site: www.soas.ac.uk/concerts
Venue:
Trinity Theatre
Church Road
Tunbridge Wells
Kent, TN1 1JP
Time: 12:00 noon – 10:00pm
TWeb site: www.trinitytheatre.net
Venue:
The Great Court
British Museum
Great Russell Street
London WC1B 3DG
Opening Time: 10:00 am – 10:00pm
Venue:
National Portrait Gallery
St Martin’s Place,
London WC2H 0HE
Time: 10:00am – 9:00pm
Part of an evening of celebrations at the Southbank Centre for Chinese New Year, this unique and beautiful quartet – featuring zithers, dulcimer, fiddles and lute – combined traditional and modern, Chinese and Western music in a fresh and creative way.
Venue:
The Ballroom
Royal Festival Hall
Southbank Centre
Belvedere Road
London SE1 8XX
Time: 6:15pm – 7:45pm
Web site: www.southbank.co.uk
Free entry
Venue:
Richard Attenborough CentreUniversity of Leicester
Lancaster Road
Leicester LE1 9HN
Time:
7:30pm concert, workshops during the day
Venue:
The Great Court
British Museum
Great Russell Street
London WC1B 3DG
Time: 7:00–9:00pm
Venue:
Logan Hall
University of London
20 Bedford Way
London WC1H 0AL
Time: 7:00 – 9:00pm
Venue:
The Red Hedgehog
255-257 Archway Road
Highgate
London
N6 5BS
Time: 6:00 – 10:00pm
Web site: www.theredhedgehog.co.uk
Venue:
Lakeside Arts Centre
University Park
Nottingham NG7 2RD
Time: 7:00 pm doors open, 7.30pm concert
Web site: www.nottingham.ac.uk
Venue:
Shrewsbury Music Hall
The Square, Shrewsbury SY1 1LH
Time: Concert 7:30pm, workshops during the day.
Also online at www.musichall.co.uk
- An ‘East-West dialogue’ on the pipa and piano by Cheng Yu and Mark Troop
- Chinese modern dance
- A demonstration of Chinese calligraphy by Kam-Sang Law
- Poetry recital by Hi Ching
- Guzheng recital
- Tea-tasting
- A sketch by True Heart Theatre
Venue:
Mary Ward House,
5-7 Tavistock Place
London WC1H 9SN
Ticket information: Free
Time: 2.00 pm - 4.00 pm
In Partnership with World Beaters Arts and Culture, China Arts designed and delivered a ten week workshop programme on music, dance and storytelling for this school. Early education on arts and music is important and China Arts provided suitable artists with a set of targeted programmes on a weekly basis to enable the children to taste, develop an interest in, and have hands-on experience of Chinese arts forms. The children learned from simple hand clapping with rhythms, through percussion instruments to singing and dancing, not only from Chinese but also from other Asian cultures. This was a great opportunity for the children to play and to experience Chinese and Asian culture from an early age in multi-cultural Britain.
Venue: TBC
Time: 9:30 am – 2:45 pm
Dance and Music
Date and time: Thursday 6 December 2007 6.30–9:00 pm
Venue:
Great Court (free event)
The British Museum
Great Russell Street
London WC1B 3DG
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7323 8000
information@thebritishmuseum.ac.uk
www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk
Having recently recorded the hunting music for the film "Ghosts", directed by Nick Brookfield, about 23 Chinese drowned while cockling in dangerous Morecambe Bay, Cheng Yu and the UK Chinese Ensemble musicians worked with composer Barnaby Taylor to create music for a 6 episode TV documentary for BBC Bristol. The programme will be shown in 2008.
See the Projects page for further information.
WOMAD again invited the Silk Strings to perform, this time at their Canarias Festival in Spain. This followed the Quartet’s appearance at the WOMAD Festival in Charlton Park, Wiltshire, and their BBC Radio 3 and World Service Broadcast in summer 2007. The group gave a concert and workshops during the festival.
WOMAD Canary Islands Festival - another weekend of fabulous music, arts and dance from around the globe - all in the exhilarating beachside city of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain. For details see the Festival event page at the WOMAD website: http://womad.org
At the invitation of the Asociación Canaria de Culturas y Músicas del Mundo, the Quartet debuted with new repertoires in Tenerife, Canary Is, Spain. There were two evening concerts and a workshop at the local Conservatory of Music.
Concert
Thursday, 8 November 2007, 8:00–10:00 pm
Venue:
Plaza del Patriotismo, 1
38002 Santa Cruz de Tenerife
Tenerife
Islas Canarias
Spain
Concert
Friday, 9 November 2007, 8:00–10:00 pm
Venue: Auditorio del Conservatorio Profesional de La Palmas de Gran Canaria
Workshop
Saturday, 10 November 2007, 5:00–6:00 pm
Venue:
Desplazamiento
al Conservatorio Superior de Música de Las Palmas
de Gran
Canaria
www.accmm.org
An evening of poetry, calligraphy and music
Tickets £7, concessions £5.
Friday 12 October 2007, 7:00 - 9:00pm
Wednesday 7, 21 November 2007, 7:00 - 9:15pm
Thursday 6 December 2007, 6:30 - 9:00pm
Wednesday 6, 27 February 2008, 7:00 - 9:15pm
Tuesday 5 March 2008, 7:00 - 9:15pm
Venue:
BP Lecture Centre, Core Education Centre
The British Museum
Great Russell Street
London WC1B 3DG
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7323 8000
information@thebritishmuseum.ac.uk
www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk
Moon Festival performance
FREE event
Thursday 4 October 2007, 6:30 - 9:00pm:
Venue:
Great Court
The British Museum
Great Russell Street
London WC1B 3DG
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7323 8000
information@thebritishmuseum.ac.uk
www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk
Private performance for Friends of the Museum only
Monday 1 October 2007, 6:00 - 9:00pm
Venue:
The British Museum
Great Russell Street
London WC1B 3DG
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7323 8000
information@thebritishmuseum.ac.uk
www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk
11am, 12.30pm, 2pm and 3.30pm (4x30 minutes)
Venue: East Ham Market, Myrtle Road, East Ham, London E6
We are pleased to announce that our Quartet was awarded a grant by the PRS Foundation as one of the best performance groups for new music in 2007. This is the first time a PRS award has been won by a UK-based Chinese music group. It is the second award that PRS has given to the Quartet after it supported the group's successful Showcase at WOMEX 2006 in Spain. The grant has been used for the commissioning of and rehearsals for the Quartet’s new works.
Following the successful performances and tours of the past few months, our new project – the Silk String Quartet – was invited by ARC Music International Ltd. to record a CD under the ARC Music label. Recording was completed in May. The CD contains 7 interesting and diverse tracks, almost all of which are contemporary, some pieces having been freshly composed or arranged. The CD was released in August this year, and is available at major UK and European record shops under ‘World Music’, as well as from the ARC Music website: www.arcmusic.co.uk.
Cheng Yu’s second solo CD album with ARC Music International came out in May 2007. The CD is entitled "Chinese Masterpieces of the pipa and qin". On it are recorded 8 of the best known classic pieces for the pipa lute and guqin zither – the two most celebrated classical instruments in China. You can find the CD in the World Music section of any major record shop the UK and Europe.
It is also available from the ARC Music website: www.arcmusic.co.uk
Notting Hill Carnival – Chinese Carnival Club, 27 August 2007
Following the success of last year’s Carnival, the Chinese Carnival Club (organised by China Arts) was again invited by the organiser to showcase on a different theme. Our musicians worked with the group to provide music for the parade on the day. This year the group put on a more spectacular demonstration on a particular arts theme with specially designed make up, costumes and props presented by a team of over 50 people to join Europe’s largest street festival. For details see www.china-arts.co.uk (Carnival page)Chinese Music Summer School: 31 July – 4 August, 2007
Following
the success of the 2006
Chinese Music Summer School, Asian
Music Circuit was delighted to present the 2007 Chinese Music
Summer School, giving five full
days
of expert tuition on Chinese instrumental music. There were master
classes on the guqin (Chinese
7-string zither) with guqin master
Zeng Chengwei, and erhu (Chinese
fiddle) with erhu soloist Hu
Bin (UK Chinese Ensemble musician). This was a rare opportunity to
learn
and
explore Chinese music in the UK. Classes were open to
all takers, beginners and advanced.
Further details: http://www.amc.org.uk/summer_schools/2007/courses.htm
7.30pm, 2 August,
2007
Venue: David Josefowitz Recital Hall,
Royal Academy of Music, Marylebone Road, London
From late July to September 2007, several musicians from the UK Chinese Ensemble worked on an Art and Music project. They collaborated with musicians from other cultures to create music in conjunction with a contemporary art exhibition by established painter Ruri in the IKON Gallery, Birmingham. The first public show was on the July 28th, leading to several performances in August and September. For details see the website below.
28 July, 2007
16 September, 2007 2:30 - 5:30pm
Contact Details
Tel : 0121 248 0708
E-mail : marketing@ikon-gallery.co.uk
Venue: Ikon Gallery, 1 Oozells Square, Brindley Place, Birmingham, B1 2HS
Website www.ikon-gallery.co.uk
BBC
Radio 3 and World Service Broadcasting. The Quartet performed at the 2007 WOMAD Festival at Charlton Park, Near Malmesbury, Wiltshire, over the weekend 27-29 July. The group was invited as the guests of BBC Radio 3 to perform a set of contemporary music which was recorded live and broadcast by the BBC Radio 3 and World Service Broadcast Networks. It was also made available on the BBC’s website.
3-4, Sunday, 29 July
BBC Radio 3 Stage, WOMAD Festival, Charlton Park, Nr. Malmesbury, Wiltshire
Tel: 0845 146 1760
http://womad.org
Monkey: Journey to the
West – an Opera-Circus
Spectacular:
2007 shows
Four
musicians from the UK Chinese Music Ensemble were invited to work with
this large-scale Theatre/opera from the beginning of this year. The
show began to perform and tour in June 2007. Journey to The West by Wu Cheng’en is one of the
best-known 16th century Chinese classic novels. This multimedia
production is directed by Mr Chen Shizheng, the music is by Damon
Albarn (Blur front singer) and digital arts are by Jamie Hewlett.
Albarn and Hewlett are the artists behind the award-winning animated
band Gorillaz. Manchester performances at the Manchester International Festival:
25 June – 1 July : previews / performances
2 – 8 July: performances
Venue: Palace Theatre, Oxford Street, Manchester, M1 6FT
Tel: +44 (0)870 401 3000 or 0161 245 6666
Web site: www.manchesterinternationalfestival.com
Paris performances at Theatre du Chatelet:
24 – 30 September: previews / performances
1 – 7 October: performances
8 – 13 October: performances
Venue: Theatre du Chatelet, 2, rue Edouard Colonne – 75001 Paris.
Web site: www.chatelet-theatre.com
The Netherlands and Germany
After only a year since the Quartet's establishment, the Silk String girls are already in demand beyond the UK. They were invited to perform at the RUIGELAND Festival and the Bred Festival in the Netherlands and the Masala Festival in Germany.
3pm, 9th June 2007,
7.30 pm June 2007
Venue: RUIGELAND Festival in het NAM park bij Grijpskerk, Netherlands
Website: www.ruigeland.nl
4pm 10th June 2007,
Venue: Bred Festival, Netherlands.
Website: www.earthbeat.nl
8pm 12th July 2007,
Venue: MASALA Welt-Beat Festival 2007, Hannover, Germany
Website: www.masala-festival.de
Our Silk & Bamboo Ensemble (a group from the UK Chinese Ensemble) was invited to play a concert of String and Wind music from China.
7.30pm, 7 June, 2007
Venue: Stamford Arts Centre, 27 St. Mary’s Street, Stamford, Lincolnshire PE9 2DL
Website: www.stamfordartscentre.com
Date: Tuesday May 22nd, 1:10pm
Venue: The Van Emden Theatre in the HUMSS Building, Whiteknights Campus, University of Reading
Further information: http://www.reading.ac.uk/about/newsandevents/Events/Event4418.asp
Directions: http://www.reading.ac.uk/maps/whiteknights-struct.htm
Email: music@reading.ac.uk
Date: Saturday May 12th, 6:00pm
Venue: Museum of East Asian Art, 12, Bennett Street, Bath BA1 2QJ
Further information: http://www.meaa.org.uk/events.htm
Email: museum@east-asian-art.freeserve.co.uk
Phone: 01225 464640
This was a free event, in association with Bath's Night at the Museums.
Guqin (7-string string zither)
concert and guqin yaji
(elegant gathering): May 5-6, 2007
The London Youlan Qin Society is pleased to announce that the renowned Shanghai guqin master Lin Youren and his daughter, guqin player and researcher Lin Chen, gave a concert at SOAS on Saturday May 5th, as part of their European tour. They also joined us for a guqin yaji on Sunday May 6th. This concert was their only public performance in the UK.
Concert:
Date: 5th May, 6:0pm
Venue: Room G3, SOAS Main Building
SOAS, University of London
Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square, London WC1H 0XG
Click here for details.
Yaji:
Sunday May 6th, 12:00pm. Click here for details.
Sponsored by the London Youlan Qin Society and the London Confucius Institute.
The London Youlan Qin Society is pleased to announce that the renowned Shanghai guqin master Lin Youren and his daughter, guqin player and researcher Lin Chen, gave a concert at SOAS on Saturday May 5th, as part of their European tour. They also joined us for a guqin yaji on Sunday May 6th. This concert was their only public performance in the UK.
Concert:
Date: 5th May, 6:0pm
Venue: Room G3, SOAS Main Building
SOAS, University of London
Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square, London WC1H 0XG
Click here for details.
Yaji:
Sunday May 6th, 12:00pm. Click here for details.
Sponsored by the London Youlan Qin Society and the London Confucius Institute.
Cheng
Yu was invited by the Taiwan National Chinese Orchestra Following her successful London World Première on the 5-stringed pipa and its new music, Cheng Yu was invited to work with the Taiwan National Chinese Orchestra on new compositions for the newly created instrument. She gave talks and lectures on the 5-stringed instrument at universities in Taiwan.
Venue: The National Theatre, Taipei, Taiwan
台北市 中山南路21-1號國家戲劇院
Web site: http://www.ntch.edu.tw/
Members of musicians of the Ensemble were invited to give performances and workshops at the Family Event in the Museum of London.
Venue: Museum of London, London Wall, London EC2Y 5HN
Time: 12:30, 2.30 and 4:00pm
Enquiries: 0879 444 3852
The Quartet was invited to give a lunchtime concert at the Brighton Festival.
Date/time: 1-2pm, Tuesday 15th May
Enquiries: tel. 01273 260 828
www.brightonfestival.org
You can hear the programme at http://www.birst.co.uk/music/ChengYu/index.htm
We
are pleased to announce our latest addition to Chinese music in the
UK –
the birth of The Silk String Quartet. New in its form and style, unique in its instrumentation and presentation, the Silk String Quartet is a young and professional London based Chinese string instrumental group of top quality. It combines traditional and modern, Chinese and Western music in a fresh and creative way. Click here for details.
Click to hear sample audio tracks: “Waterscape Silhouette” “Three and Six”
For more information or a promotional CD, please contact us.
This album presents the first fruits of the five-stringed pipa project, four new compositions and one new arranged piece on the 5-stringed instrument created by Cheng Yu (for details about the 5-string pipa project, see the 5-string pipa project on this website). The new works premiered in February 2005 in two London concerts (at SOAS, University of London, and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama), and on BBC radio.
Please click here for details or to order a copy of the album.
The Silk String Quartet in collaboration with China Arts is working on a Chinese-Western fusion music project. It brings together two of the best Chinese and Western ensembles in the UK, the Silk String Quartet (led by Dr Cheng Yu) and the Chamber Music Company (led by Mark Troop). The aim is to explore the soundworld of the East and West and creatively test both the potential and the boundaries between these two different musical cultures. Experiments include trying adopted music on each culture’s instruments, and collaborations of the mixed ensembles with diverse musical works by composers of different backgrounds. The project presents its first fruit at the inaugurations of both China Telecom (Europe) Ltd. and Dragon Cambridge International (provides UK-Chinese business links).
10am – 12am - Dragon dance workshop
10.30am - 12 noon - Singing/percussion workshop for children
12.30 - 2 pm: Children’s Demonstration performances
12:30-2pm: Pipa music recital by Cheng Yu
2-4pm – Calligraphy and brush drawing
4 - 5 pm - Teatime concert: Silk String Quartet
Venue: The Electric Theatre, Onslow Street, Guildford.
Box Office: 01483 444789
Workshop and concerts prices are £5. Tickets for the lunchtime pipa recital are £5 (free to workshop participants and children under 12 years of age) and £5 for the Teatime Recital by the Silk String Quartet, also free to children under 12 years of age.
China Arts presents a selection of well-known scenes from Beijing Opera.
Beijing Opera is a complex art form combining singing, movement, mime, martial arts, acrobats, melodic and percussion orchestra and extraordinary costumes and make-up. The programme includes:
- The Goddess Scattering Flowers from Heaven
- The Startling Dream from ‘The Peony Pavilion’
- Picking up the Jade Bracelet
- Flute and Drum at Sunset (traditional civil style music)
- Flowing Water (Classical music)
Date: 9th March, 2007
Time: 7:30pm
Venue: Richard Attenborough Centre
University of Leicester
Lancaster Road
Leicester LE1 9HN
Enquiries: Tel: (RAC) 0116 252 2455
Web site: www.le.ac.uk/music
Kiku Day (shakuhachi), Máire Breatnach (fiddle) and Sun Zhuo (guzheng)
Kiku Day is a ji-nashi shakuhachi player with a colourful roots background. Following intensive instrumental studies in Tokyo, her interest is now turning towards contemporary music. This concert will see the world premiere of three original compositions written for Kiku by Yumi Hara Cawkwell, Mogens Christensen and Gabriel Erkoreka.
A classically-trained artist who grew up in a household steeped in traditional music, Máire Breatnach is among Ireland’s most prolific traditional musicians. Beautiful melodies and sparkling fiddle playing make for both gripping and fragile performances.
Sun Zhuo, guzheng player with the UK Chinese Ensemble and the Silk String Quartet, studied at the Central Conservatory of Music, Beijing and is now continuing her PhD studies in London. She is in high demand as a guzheng player both in China and abroad, most recently working on new compositions and contemporary styles.
FREE ADMISSION, NO BOOKING REQUIRED
Venue capacity is limited and SOAS operates a first come first served system.
Date: Thursday 8th March 2007
Time: 7:00pm
Venue: Brunei Gallery Lecture Theatre
SOAS, University of London
Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square, London WC1H 0XG
ENQUIRIES:
Tel: 020 7897 4500
email: musicevents@soas.ac.uk
www.soas.ac.uk/concerts
China Arts and the UK Chinese Ensemble present:
1. Chinese Music Making: Singing, Percussion & Instruments
2. Lion Dance & Dragon Dance
3. Drawing, Calligraphy & Wash Painting
4. Chinese Folk Dance: Ribbon, Fan & Handkerchief Dance
5. Martial Arts
6. Story Telling
Venue: CHRIST CHURCH Primary School
1 Robinson Street
London SW3 4AR
Enquiries: 020 7352 5708
China Arts and the UK Chinese Ensemble present:
3 days of workshops on Calligraphy, Lion Dancing and Storing Telling.
Venue: Southbank Kingsington Park Road, London W11 3BU
China Arts and the UK Chinese Ensemble presents:
- Story telling
- Opera Mask making
- Ribbon and Fan dance
- Lion Dance
Time: 1pm onwards
Venue: National Portrait Gallery, St Martin’s Place, London WC2H 0HE
Enquiries: tel. 020 7306 0055
Thrilling, Colourful, Original and Inspirational
Guizhou Ethnic Minority Dance and Song Ensemble, Southwest China
Date: Friday 16th and Saturday 17th February, 2007
Time: 7.30pm
Venue: Cadogan Hall
5 Sloane Terrace
London SW1X 9DQ
Box Office: 020 7730 4500,
Tickets: £15 - £30 (child/student/group discount available).
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2007 Spring Concert
and Workshop Series:
The Silk String Quartet/UK Chinese Ensemble
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