Culture

Chinese Classical Music Charms U.S. Audiences

A concert by the China National Traditional Orchestra （CNTO） held in the northeast U.S. state of New Jersey on January 29， enthralled thousands of spectators with its music and performance.

On the night of the event， the New Jersey Performing Arts Center located in downtown Newark was packed with local Americans and overseas Chinese which had come to experience and appreciate Xuanzangs Pilgrimage， a work featuring the legendary Chinese Monk Xuanzangs journey along the Silk Road to obtain Buddhist scriptures in the 7th century.

Demonstrated by top musicians of the traditional Chinese musical instruments such as pipa， a pear-shaped fretted instrument， huqin， the Chinese two-stringed fiddle， and the bamboo flute； the symphonies brought back to life the arduous and glorious journey of Xuanzang through desolate deserts and over precipitous cliffs， which took him 17 years.

The ensemble also performed some classical Chinese pieces such as A Night of Flowers and Moonlight by the Spring River and Xintianyou， a folk music style from northwest Chinas Shaanxi Province.

The audience gave a rapturous standing ovation with loud cheers when the final piece concluded， to which the musicians responded with two encores， including the jubilant Blooming Flowers and Full Moon.

Founded in Beijing in 1960， the CNTO has won wide acclaim by highlighting traditional Chinese musical themes while incorporating modern technologies into its productions. The concert came to the United States as a part of Image China， a high-level cultural exchange program presented by the China Arts and Entertainment Group.

Chinese New Year Celebrations in Lithuania

Musicians of the Gansu Dance Troupe from China kicked off the celebration of the Chinese New Year， or the Spring Festival as it is also known， with a concert in Vilnius on the night of January 28.

Held at the Vilnius Town Hall in the Old Town， the national symphony concert is part of a cultural event titled“Happy Chinese New Year，” which was jointly organized by the Chinese Embassy in Lithuania and Chinas Ministry of Culture and Tourism to celebrate the Spring Festival.

Over 300 locals as well as local Chinese compatriots and students attended the concert. Chinese Ambassador to Lithuania Shen Zhifei invited everybody to join in celebrating the Chinese New Year， enjoying the wonderful Chinese national music presented by the artists of the Gansu Dance Troupe.

Titled “Strolling through Gansu，” the concert features pieces reminiscent of the famous Silk Road， including Flying Apsaras and The Silk Road， two masterpieces reflecting the profound influence of Chinese dance traditions as well as the history of the region.

Hurun Chinese New Year Event Hosted in Istanbul

The 2019 Hurun Global Chinese New Year Series made its debut in Istanbul on January 29， bringing together about 200 Turkish industrialists and entrepreneurs to experience a moment of joy and harmony with the Chinese people and culture.

“This is our first year in Turkey. It is beautiful to see all these Chinese lanterns all over here，” said Rupert Hoogewerf， also known as Hu Run by his Chinese name.

“Today there are many industrialists， entrepreneurs， and people who are interested in developing a relationship between China and Turkey. We are helping them to build partnerships，” said Hu Run， whose publications include lists of the rich in China and other parts of the world.

In Istanbul， awards were presented as well to three Turks in recognition of their contributions to Turkey-China relations， with the lifetime achievement award going to Husnu Ozyegin， a billionaire businessman who founded Ozyegin University in Istanbul， the outstanding contribution award going to the Dorak tourism agency now in business for 20 years， and the future star award to Ugur Talayhan， general manager of the Swissotel the Bosphorus， which played host to the Chinese New Year event.

Activity

China Opera and Dance Drama Theater Confucius

Date： February 28 - March 3， 2019

Venue： National Center for the Performing Arts

Prices： RMB 80， 120， 180， 240， 300， 350， 400， 500

The story displays the life of Confucius who engaged in politics， gave advice to the kings， toured various states， experienced extreme poverty and famine， wrote the lyrics of the guqin musical piece Virtues of the Silent Orchid， and returned to the Lu State in his late years. He revised The Book of Songs， composed Spring and Autumn Annals， and created rituals and music， etc. All those plots are reflected in Confuciuss upmost ideal of “perfection” in art.

London Philharmonic Orchestra

Date： March 14， 2019

Venue： National Center for the Performing Arts

Prices： RMB 280， 480， 680， 880， 1080，1280， 1680

One of the finest orchestras on the international stage， the London Philharmonic Orchestra balances a long and distinguished history with its reputation as one of the U.K.s most forward-looking ensembles. Complementing its concert performances， the Orchestra also records film soundtracks， releases CDs on its own record label， and reaches out to thousands of people every year through activities for families， schools， and community groups.