Year of the Tiger in Concert is an evening of orchestral music to celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year at Concert Hall, the Concourse Chatswood on Saturday 5 February 2022.
Together with Willoughby Symphony Orchestra and the selected popular Australian Chinese soloists, this all-star cast brings you a remarkable and immersive live music experience of authentic classics. The concert features two immensely acclaimed Chinese classics Suite of Spring Festival and the Tune of Meihu’s Australian premiere, and world-famous Piano Concerto No.1 (Tchaikovsky).
Emerging Chinese-Australian conductor Shilong Ye, a recipient of ‘Alan Bellhouse Award for a Young Conductor’, will lead this concert. Guest artists include award-winning pianist Tony Lee, leading Erhu player Tuqiang Zhang, popular soprano Lei Du. The artists will be joined by the extraordinary Willoughby Symphony, an exceptional orchestra of international standard.
A joyful exuberant piece, Spring Festival Suite, composed by Huanzhi Li, depicting the scene that folks in Shanbei region were celebrating the Chinese New Year, will highlight the concert with its grand returns with perfect festival ambience to the audiences. The popular Chinese folk song Tune of Meihu, a masterpiece of the well-established Qin Erhu originated from yellow river civilisation, will cheer up the community with the high spirits and unwavering conviction conveyed from this folk song.
Don't miss your rare opportunity to experience an Australian tribute to Chinese music heritage with one of Sydney’s largest Lunar New Year celebrations.
In-Person Concert Tickets
Sat 5 Feb 2022, 7:30PM
Concert Hall, The Concourse
Prices: VIP $108 / A Res $78 / B Res $58 / Family package of 4 $234
Group (8+), Concession, Junior 10% off
Please check the venue Covid-19 Prevention information before buying your tickets.
Live streaming is available for this concert
Digital Concert Hall (PREMIUM)
Sat 5 Feb 2022, 7:30PM
Price: $24 (HR & Ads free)
-
How to redeem your $25 Discover NSW voucher with us to Purchase your tickets
Step 1. Locate your confirmation email from Service NSW Service NSW confirmation email should come with an attachment of four QR codes: blue (dine) and red (discover).
Step 2. Forward this email to info@happychinesenewyear.com.au. Please include the following ticket details in the email body:
1. Full name
2. Which ticket reservation category you want to purchase and how many
3. Any concession applied to you (e.g. concession, adult, junior)
Please note:
• do not send us the QR code from your NSW Service app (from your mobile) as that code will only remain valid for 2 minutes.
• If you have printed Service NSW confirmation email out, take a photo of the red QR code you wish to redeem and send this to our email with the above ticket details.
Step 3. Pay the difference
Ausfeng will get in touch with you via email within 2 business days to confirm your details and voucher validity. We will also send you our bank account details for you to pay the difference. Please include your name in the payment description of the transfer.
Example: If you have selected a $69 ticket, please deposit the final balance of $44 ($69 - $25 = $44) into our designated bank account.
Step 4. Receive ticket
Once we have received the difference, you will receive a digital copy of your ticket within 2 business days via email.
For more information, please call us at (02) 9186 1588 or visit our office and our customer service will take you through this process. Please note, only one voucher per person can be redeemed per ticket.
The featured musical event of the Chatswood Year of the Tiger Festiva
Program:
-
The Chinese celebrate new year for fifteen days in the first lunar month, which are collective called “Chun (春) Jie” (Spring Festival). In 1955, Huanzhi Li wrote the Spring Festival Suite which includes Yangge folk dance, Love song, and Suona horn theme from the Shanbei region. It was an instant hit and the opening movement of the suite became the best-known music for Chinese New Year anywhere around the world. The entire suite, however, has never been performed in Australia, and apparently has not been performed for more than a decade within China. It is our great pleasure to bring you the entire Spring Festival Suite for the very first time in Australia, live in concert to celebrate the Year of the Tiger.
-
Chinese musical instruments have an incredibly long history, and the oldest Chinese musical instrument is a flute made of crane wing bone uncovered in Jiahu, Henan province, hence the name Jiahu bone flute, dating back to eight thousand years ago. Our featuring artist, Tuqiang Zhang will be playing the traditional Chinese instrument Erhu for the Australian Premiere of Tune of Mei Hu. Erhu belongs to the Huqin family, a type of stringed instrument popular amongst Hu ethnic groups in northern ancient China. A movement from the 50s in the 20th century for teaching Chinese instruments at tertiary level saw Erhu become one of the major instruments appeared at the Music Faculty of Northwest Arts School (predecessor of Xi’an Conservatory of Music), alongside with instruments such as Pipa and Yangqin, which will also be featured in our CNY concert. One of the first graduates from the Music Faculty, Rirong Lu, composed the Tune of Mei Hu in 1958, and the erhu concerto version is what we know today.
New Horse Racing, composer Haihuai Huang, arranged by Yaoxing Chen and Jun Chen
You and Me, composer Qigang Chen
Pamir My Beautiful Homeland, composer Qiufeng Zheng
Piano Concerto No.1, composer Tchaikovsky
Featuring:
-
The extraordinary Willoughby Symphony has blossomed into an exceptional orchestra of international standard. The Willoughby Symphony is widely celebrated for captivating performances that showcase the orchestra’s incredible virtuosity across the entire symphonic repertoire.
It is renowned for an outstanding annual series of concerts that encompasses beloved orchestral classics, innovative music presentation styles, and family-oriented productions that engage and delight audiences of all ages.
The musicians bring artistic integrity and visceral excitement to their intoxicating performances, uniting in a shared vision of music and community. They are a tight-knit group with a rich and supportive culture, and their enthusiasm and passion for music is obvious in every concert. Each year sees them build on the last, with the orchestra hosting Australia’s most exciting emerging artists and composers, and pushing the boundaries of classical music. Not only do they deliver revelatory performances of the classics, they bring energy and flair to rock and pop music. They are also committed to making music inviting and accessible to all, with two children’s concerts each year inspiring the next generation of musicians and music lovers.
The Willoughby Symphony has been led since 2001 by internationally celebrated orchestral icon and local legend, chief conductor and artistic director, Dr Nicholas Milton AM. Renowned for his charismatic stage presence, powerful interpretations and compelling musical integrity, Dr Milton continues to attract international attention as one of the most outstanding Australian conductors working today. Formerly general music director and chief conductor of the State Opera House in Saarbrücken, Nicholas is currently chief conductor and artistic director of the Göttingen Symphony Orchestra and principal guest conductor of the North German Philharmonic Orchestra (Rostock). Despite a vibrant international schedule, the Grammy-nominated conductor remains passionately committed to the Willoughby Symphony. Proudly managed by Willoughby City Council.
-
A sought-after musical director, conductor, soloist and event manager, Shilong Ye regularly travelled between Canberra, Sydney, Wollongong, and China to work on multiple musical projects each year. A top student in music from Narrabundah College, Shilong went on to study violin and viola with Tor Fromyhr and conducting with Max McBride and Dominic Harvey at ANU School of Music. He later completed his Master of Music Studies in Conducting with Professor Eduardo Diazmuñoz, Dr Stephen Mould and Associate Professor Neil McEwan at Sydney Conservatorium of Music and received “Alan Bellhouse Award for a Young Conductor”. Since 2006, Shilong has performed and conducted in regional NSW, major performance venues in Canberra, the Sydney Opera House, and enjoyed concertizing in Shanghai, Taiwan and Olomouc.
Shilong began his musical journey on piano at the age of 4 and made his public conducting debut at the age of 12. After winning the Golden Award in the English vocal category at the China National Arts Competition of Youth, Shilong moved to Australia and joined Canberra Youth Orchestra in 2004. Between 2004 and 2007, Shilong was the principal viola for CYO and later became the assistant conductor and string tutor at Canberra Youth Music. With over 10 years of association with CYO and JMO, Shilong is known to the Canberra community for bringing up young talents through his orchestral training, and his association with local musical groups, such as the Tuggeranong Valley Band, Rhythm Syndicate Choir, Forrest National Chamber Orchestra and Musica da Camera Chamber Orchestra. Other ensembles Shilong has conducted in the past include ANU School of Music Orchestra, Canberra City Band, Sydney Conservatorium of Music Orchestra, Arco Music Academy Chamber Orchestra (co-founder), Kuringai Youth Orchestra, Ashfield Community Band, Steel City Strings, Australian New Goldburg Orchestra, Australian Chinese Musicians Association Orchestra and Choir, and Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra.
-
Tony is one of Australia's most highly awarded pianists, who was resident artist at the Chapelle Musicale Reine Elisabeth in Belgium (2014 to 2016), as a protege of the renowned Portuguese-Swiss pianist, Maria-João Pires. Tony has performed across the Asia Pacific, Europe, the USA and has appeared as soloist with the Brussels Philharmonic, BBC Philharmonic, China Central Ballet Symphony, Shanghai Philharmonic, Chengdu Philharmonic, Guangxi Philharmonic, Queensland Symphony, Tasmanian Symphony, and New Zealand Symphony Orchestra.
-
As an alumnus of Xi’an Conservatory of Music, Tuqiang Zhang was the first lecturer to teach both Erhu and guitar at professional level at the Conservatory for over two decades, before moving overseas to teach at the Auckland Conservatory of Music, and he now calls Australia home.
Soprano: Lei Du
Pipa: Zina Fan
Yangqin: Angela Feng