The city of Beijing gets overwhelmed by classical music and opera every October, thanks to the Beijing Music Festival. The festival’s 19th event closed on Saturday, with a concert by the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra.
The city of Beijing gets overwhelmed by classical music and opera every October, thanks to the Beijing Music Festival.
The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra is one of Asia’s most celebrated orchestras. The group presents more than 150 concerts to over 200,000 audience members every year. The orchestra recently performed for a third time at the Beijing Music Festival. The last two times were in 1999 and 2007.
Hong Kong Philharmonic’s Music Director Jaap van Zweden was the star of the night. He is a violinist prodigy turned maestro. Under his baton, the Hong Kong Philharmonic presented Quintessence, by Hong Kong composer Fung Lam, and Gustav Mahler’s 1st Symphony. Van Zweden says the latter piece is personally significant.
“It was this piece when I was sitting in the chair and Master Bernstein conducted the orchestra. And we were on a tour in a new hall in Berlin. And he said I want to listen to this piece and you conduct. I said maestro I cannot do it because I have never conducted. He said you still do it.” Van Zweden said.
“I was a little bit afraid, but it was dangerous to say no to him so I said I would try. After that, he said it was bad actually but asked me to keep doing. And now here we are.”
In 1979, Van Zweden was hired to be concertmaster for the Royal Concert Hall Orchestra in Amsterdam when he was just 18. He was the youngest violinist ever to assume the role. With maestro Leonard Bernstein’s encouragement, he became a professional conductor in the mid 1990s. As one of the most sought-after conductors today, he has contracts with many prestigious orchestras including the New York Philharmonic and the Dallas Symphony.
Van Zweden has already accepted an invitation to conduct music for a second time at the Beijing Music Festival next year.
“Yes. We are going to bring the Hong Kong Philharmonic back with Wagner opera,” he said.
As the title “An Encounter with Titans” implies, the concert is a dialogue between prodigies and masters. It is not only a dialogue between violinist turned conductor Jaap van Zweden and the late legendary composer Gustav Mahlar, but also an ode to Mozart, by young and talented Chinese violinist sensation Yang Tianwa.
The Beijing violinist Yang Tianwa played Mozart’s Violin Concerto No.4 in D Major. She was the winner of the coveted ECHO Klassik Instrumentalist Award in 2015. Yang started learning violin at the age of four. She started studying with Professor Lin Yaoji at the Central Conservatory of Music at the age of 10, and has received massive media attention for her talent. She says, an invitation by maestro Issac Stern to play with him in the United States, opened new doors for her.
“Last time I played in the BMF I was 12. So that was the year 1999. The legendary violinist Issac Stern was also played in the festival and he heard through TV broadcast. So I have very special conctact with the BMF,” Yang said.
The Beijing Music Festival staged 30 performances this year, from classical symphonic pieces to avant garde operas. Classical music enthusiasts were able to appreciate the performances in concert halls, on radio and via the internet.
Next year will be the 20th edition of the Beijing Music Festival.
