Maestro David Robertson to conduct the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in Strauss’ “Ein Heldenleben” on his debut tour to China, also featuring Haochen Zhang in Beethoven’s“Emperor” Concerto
Sydney Symphony Orchestra, resident orchestra of the renowned Sydney Opera House, will tour China under its chief conductor and artistic director David Robertson this coming June - July, marking the orchestra’s 3rd China tour in its history. This tour combines 8 concerts in 7 cities that include Shanghai, Beijing, Xi’an, Jinan, Hangzhou, Guangzhou and Shenzhen. The guest soloist featured in this tour is Haochen Zhang, Shanghai-born gold medalist of the 2009 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, who will be interpreting Beethoven’s majestic Piano Concerto No. 5 “Emperor”. Other repertoires on the program list include Richard Strauss’ “Ein Heldenleben” in commemoration of the composer’s 150th birth anniversary (Shanghai, Beijing, Xi’an, Hangzhou and Guangzhou), Beethoven’s luminous No.7 Symphony (Jinan and Shenzhen) and the world premiere of Andrew Schultz’s “Sound Lur and Serpent, Fanfare for Brass and Percussion”, as well as excerpts of John Williams’ dazzling film tracks from “Star Wars” and “Superman” as encores.
Australia’s flagship orchestra revisits China
Sydney Symphony Orchestra is one of the four resident performing arts entities at the Sydney Opera House – the signature shell-like architecture defining the skyline of the city. Fine tuned throughout the years under renowned music directors including Charles Mackerras, Edo de Waart, and Vladimir Ashkenazy, the orchestra established its status as Australia’s flagship orchestra as well as its reputation as the “No.1 Symphony Orchestra in the Southern Hemisphere”. The orchestra has made many live recordings of its concerts, including the beloved “Mahler: the Symphonies”. Collaborating with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, the orchestra also broadcasts its concerts live to the world throughout the year, gathering numerous fans across the globe.
Sydney Symphony Orchestra has long cultivated great relationships with Chinese artists, welcoming many to participate in its concert seasons. In 2013, for instance, Chinese artists who made appearances include Tan Dun with his Martial Arts Trilogy, Long Yu conducting Carmina Burana, and the Grammys-nominated Pipa soloist Wu Man’s performance in “Pipa Concerto”, a Jiping Zhao’s composition commissioned by the orchestra.
2014 marks the 150th birth anniversary of the German composer Richard Strauss. To celebrate this occasion, the orchestra will be performing “Ein Heldenleben” during its China tour. In this remarkable “autobiographical” tone poem with plenty of grandeur and humor, Strauss drew parallel between himself and the “hero”, and compared his music critics to the hero’s “enemies”. By performing this repertoire, Sydney Symphony Orchestra salutes Strauss as one of the greatest composers of the late Romantic era.
American maestro in Sydney
Despite collaboration with many Chinese artists including Tan Dun, Lang Lang, and Wu Man, maestro David Robertson, chief conductor and artistic director of Sydney Symphony Orchestra, has never been to China.
As one of the most sought-after American conductors and program planner, Robertson has served in the past 30 years as Principal Guest Conductor of BBC Symphony Orchestra, Music Director of the Ensemble Intercontemporain in Paris, Artistic Director of L’Auditorium in Lyon, as well as Music Director of the Orchestre National de Lyon. He has also conducted numerous international top-level orchestras, including New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Berliner Philharmoniker, Staatskapelle Dresden, etc.
In September 2007, when renowned conductor Claudio Abbado had to cancel his appearance with Lucerne Festival Orchestra due to sudden illness, the then Music Director of St. Louis Symphony David Robertson was chosen by Abbado to step in and conduct Beethoven’s Symphony No.9 with Lucerne’s all-star orchestra. The Festival was highly impressed by Robertson’s outstanding conducting. As a result, Robertson was repeatedly invited by the Festival in the following years, participating in activities such as holding conducting masterclasses for young artists as well as having St. Louis Orchestra appear in the KKL Luzern Concert Hall – an honor previously extended to very few American orchestras.
Robertson joined Sydney Symphony Orchestra as Chief Conductor and Artistic Director in January 2014. Dene Olding, concertmaster of Sydney Symphony Orchestra, expressed his enthusiasm on behalf of the orchestra musicians, “we're honored that David has agreed to join us on our musical journey together… He is an exceptional musician - highly intelligent, articulate and a wonderful communicator.” Likewise, Robertson held great admiration for Sydney Symphony Orchestra as “an amazing team of musicians with an energy, curiosity, and passion that make them one of the world's best. I love their enjoyment in music making. They are very virtuosic in their playing.”
Robertson has extensive experience conducting operas. In October 2012, he conducted Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City. He has also conducted in many famous opera houses, including Teatro alla Scala, Lyon Opera House, Sante Fe Opera House, Hamburgische Staatsoper, Bayerische Staatsoper, Theatre Du Chatelet, and San Francisco War Memorial Opera House.
Prodigy Pianist Playing “Emperor”
Merely aged 19, Haochen Zhang won the prestigious gold medal at the 13th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 2009, becoming the first Chinese pianist receiving the top honor in the history of this competition.
The gold medal paved way for Zhang’s full burst onto the world music stage. In summer 2012, Zhang debuted at the Piano Festival La Roque d’Antheron, for which he won rave review from the famous French classical music magazine “Diapason”. In April 2013, Zhang’s debut performance of Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No.4 with Munich Philharmonic under maestro Lorin Maazel was so successful, that Zhang’s subsequent China tour with Maazel and Munich Philharmonic to Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Guangzhou was sold out to no one’s surprise. No wonder Maazel was full of praise and hope about Zhang, predicting that “...the truly gifted young will defend classical music with honor”.
During Shanghai Symphony Orchestra’s concert season 2013-2014, Zhang was engaged as the orchestra’s youngest resident artist and performed in the season’s opening concert. When pianist Gary Graffman, former president of the Curtis Institute of Music, had to cancel his appearance in the opening concert of China Philharmonic Orchestra’s 2013-2014 season, Zhang gallantly stepped in for his beloved piano professor and again proved himself worthy of the lavish praises the press and the public bestowed on him.
2014 sees the global audience continue its admiration for Zhang’s extraordinary depth of skills, interpretation, and imagination. Invitations from important classical music festivals keep pouring in: Zhang has been confirmed to be holding his solo recital at Switzerland’s Verbier Festival in August 2014 as well as performances as soloist in Liszt’s 1st concerto on BBC Proms, marking his debut in both prestigious festivals.
For Sydney Symphony Orchestra’s China tour, Zhang will be playing Beethoven’s Piano Concerto no.5 “Emperor”. This will be Zhang’s first time playing this repertoire in his hometown Shanghai – the last time he played this technically demanding piece was on Dec 27 2011 at the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra’s 75th anniversary concert under the baton of Teatro Regio’s music director Gianandrea Noseda. “Emperor” is widely perceived as Beethoven’s most heavyweight piano concerto. Composed in E-flat major, the concerto shares the same key as the composer’s another major work Symphony no.3 “Eroica”, indicating the composer’s preference for this particular tonality to be used for expression of heroism and majesty. Coincidentally, Richard Strauss also composed “Ein Heldenleben” in E-flat major, weaving a certain musical unity into the night with Sydney Symphony Orchestra.
TOUR Schedule
Date Event City Venue
June 24th Tue Concert 1 Shanghai
Oriental Arts Centre
June 25th Wed Concert 2 Jinan Shandong Grand Theatre
June 26th Thu Chamber music concert Beijing National Centre for the Performing Arts
June 27th Fri Concert 3 Beijing National Centre for the Performing Arts
June 29th Sun Concert 4 Xi’an Xi’an Concert Hall
July 2nd Wed Concert 5 Hangzhou Hangzhou Grand Theatre
July 4th Fri Concert 6 Shenzhen Shenzhen Concert Hall
July 5th Sat Concert 7 Guangzhou Xinghai Concert Hall
For more information, please contact
王雅京 Yajing Wang
项目经理 project manager
KAJIMOTO Beijing Office
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