Shana tova! Happy Jewish New Year and early Full Festival!
I would like to express my appreciation and gratitude to all of your support from the beginning of my daily music project that started in May 2020, to this very moment. In the last twenty four hours, I have been preparing for the most important concert so far in my life that will take place next Thursday 9/21 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
My orchestral composition Hello Gold Mountain will be performed by The Philadelphia Orchestra to celebrate the 50th anniversary of its historical ice-breaking trip to perform in China as the first American orchestra in 1973. Read more on The Philadelphia Orchestra’s website about the significance of this remarkable history:
“As the first American orchestra to perform in the People’s Republic of China, in 1973, The Philadelphia Orchestra has a longstanding relationship with the people of China. That first tour, authorized by President Nixon and Henry Kissinger, included performances in Beijing (then Peking) and Shanghai under Maestro Eugene Ormandy, and made The Philadelphia Orchestra a household name in China.
Today, the Orchestra’s work in China continues in concert halls, educational institutions, and civic settings with our long-term partners. In addition to our work on stage, we provide free cultural exchange opportunities through pop-up concerts, side-by-side performances with local ensembles, master classes, teaching and training, and arts administration lectures.
At a time when growing tension marks other aspects of U.S.-China relations, we continue to build on this longstanding legacy to celebrate the powerful role of music in cultural exchange and people-to-people cooperation. ”
Recently, The China Project interviewed Alison Friedman, artistic and executive director of the Carolina Performing Arts who is presenting my concert residency with the Philadelphia Orchestra.
In the interview, Alison expressed “The difference between propaganda and art is that propaganda has an agenda to tell you what to think, whereas art takes you on an emotional journey where you feel something about a situation whether or not you agree with the message.” The full interview is here.
Next week, prior to the concert, I will be joined by Alison Friedman and Matias Tarnopolsky (CEO of Philadelphia Orchestra) to record a podcast for The Sinica Podcast hosted by Kaiser Kuo. I will share with you the podcast once it airs.
My countdown to the Chapel Hill has officially started. I will be concentrating on giving myself 100% for a fully packed week with panel discussions, podcast recording, teaching master class, meetings, rehearsals all leading towards the concert. I will take a pause from my daily newsletter until I return home on Sep. 24th.
The video below is a short documentary about the ensemble version of Hello Gold Mountain’s premiere shot in Nashville, Tennessee in 2019. Next week, I will perform the full symphony version of the work with The Philadelphia Orchestra featuring myself on guzheng / voice and oudist Shanir Ezra Blumenkranz.
If you or your family/friends will be in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, I would love to see you at the concert on Sep. 21. You can still grab tickets here:
https://carolinaperformingarts.org/events/philadelphia-orchestra/
Wish you all a wonderful week and see you when I come back!
Wu Fei 吴非
Wufeimusic.com | hellogoldmountain.com