I had a great time chatting with three friends — the host Kaiser Kuo, Alison Friedman executive and creative director of Carolina Performing Arts and Matías Tarnopolsky, the orchestra’s president and chief executive.
Last week was the 50th anniversary of the groundbreaking concert tour of China by the Philadelphia Orchestra. Alison Friedman, executive and creative director of Carolina Performing Arts brought the Philadelphia Orchestra to Chapel Hill, North Carolina, where they played my composition, Hello Gold Mountain, and Beethoven’s 6th Symphony, which they played in Beijing on September 21, 1973.
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I want to share my gratitude to all the people in the photos below for making the breathtaking collaboration of The Philadelphia Orchestra, me and Hello Gold Mountain happen!
Wu Fei 吴非
Wufeimusic.com | hellogoldmountain.com
(L-R) Maestro Lio Kuokman who conducted my composition Hello Gold Mountain, me, Dr. Patricia Rosenmeyer who narrated the poem as part of the composition, Shanir Ezra Blumenkranz (oud soloist, music wizard) after the concert at Memorial Hall, Chapel Hill, NC
Alison Friedman, executive and artistic director of Carolina Performing Arts at the after concert reception. Alison lived and worked in China for 17 years. Her mandarin is like a native speaker.
(L-R) Aaron Pickett and Amanda Graham from Carolina Performing Arts; me ; Doug Shadle, professor of Musicology at Vanderbilt University; Desiree Halac, my manager who flew from Spain; Amy Kolling Russell from Carolina Performing Arts.
(L-R) Desiree Halac, my manager; me ; Morgan Parpan and Megan Whitaker from Carolina Performing Arts.
(L-R) Doug Shadle, professor of Musicology at Vanderbilt University who hosted a panel interviewing the two long-time The Philadelphia Orchestra musicians Davyd Booth (violinist, L) and Renard Edwards (violist, R) who went to China with the Orchestra 50 years ago.
(L-R) Steve H. Judson and Desiree Halac, my brilliant managers from NYC and Spain; George Gopen from Duke University at the concert
The amazing conductor Lio Kuokman and the musicians of The Philadelphia Orchestra about to start the rehearsal at Memorial Hall, UNC Chapel Hill, NC
Shanir Ezra Blumenkranz (oud) and Christopher Deviney (principal percussionist of the orchestra) doing sound check for a section of Hello Gold Mountain
Musicians warming up for the rehearsal. The musician with white hair is Davyd Booth who went to China with the orchestra 50 years ago as the first symphony orchestra from the U.S.
I was about to start a presentation for the classes of Dr. Mark Katz (standing) and Dr. Naomi André at the Music School of UNC Chapel Hill
We received a standing ovation from the full-house audience at Memorial Hall.
Wu Fei's Music Daily is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
