Yoel Levi
In September 2008, maestro Yoel Levi, Principal conductor of the Orchestre National d'le de France, led the orchestra in Nabucco in the Stade de France and for the opening of the 2008/2009 season at the Festival d'le de France with Peer Gynt by Edvard Grieg. During 2008/2009 he conducted the ensemble for four other concert series in both Paris and numerous towns in the area with various repertoire including Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 6 'Pathetique', La Mer by Debussy, Till Eulenspiegel by Richard Strauss, Beethoven's Symphony No. 9.
In September 2005, maestro Yoel Levi was appointed Principal Conductor for four years. During the 2004/2005 season, he conducted Mahler's Symphony No. 2 for the 30th anniversary of the orchestra and opened the season with a highly acclaimed performance. The following season, he directed the orchestra for eight weeks, for a concert series in Paris and its region, and also for a tour to Spain, both to great public and critical acclaim. After a last concert in June 2006 given at the Festival de Saint-Denis, Yoel Levi was invited back in early October 2006 to lead the orchestra for the opening of the season in the recently reopened Salle Pleyel in Paris, plus in May 2007 a performance of Berio's Sinfonia at the Théatre du Chatelet in Paris. Yoel Levi conducted the orchestra in Autumn 2007 for tours in Besanon and eastern Europe.
He was appointed Chief Conductor of the Flemish Radio Orchestra in 2001, and has since pushed this orchestra up to a highly acclaimed international standard. He has been received with enthusiasm by growing audiences and by the press. Yoel Levi is also the first Israeli to hold the position of Principal Guest Conductor of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. With this orchestra he toured 11 US cities in 2004, where he received great critical acclaim.
While he was Music Director of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra from 1988 to 2000, Yoel Levi's impact on the orchestra was summed up by Gramophone Magazine, as follows: 'Yoel Levi has built a reputation for himself and for his orchestra that is increasingly the envy of the big five American counterparts in New York, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Boston and Chicago.' Among his many ASO milestones, are a highly successful performance of Mahler's Symphony No. 2 ('Resurrection') featuring award winning ASO Chorus in New York's Avery Fischer Hall, a featured role at the Opening Ceremony of the Centennial Olympic Games in July of 1996, an extensive and by the critics acclaimed European Tour by the ASO in 1991, and the nomination of the ASO as 'Best orchestra of the Year' for 1991-92 at the First Annual International Classical Music Awards.
Maestro Levi has made more than forty recordings on different labels with various orchestras, including the Cleveland Orchestra, The London Philharmonic, The Philharmonia Orchestra, The Flemish Radio Orchestra. Thirty of these are with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra for Telarc. His recordings are devoted to the music of Barber, Beethoven, Brahms, Copland, Dohnanyi, Dvorak, Hindemith, Kodaly, Mahler, Mendelssohn, Mussorgsky, Nielsen, Prokofiev, Puccini, Ravel, Rossini, Saint-Sa？ns, Schoenberg, Shostakovitch, Sibelius, Stravinsky and Tchaikovsky.
Though born in Romania, Yoel Levi grew up in Israel. He studied at the Tel Aviv Academy of Music, where he received a Master of Arts degree with distinction, and the Jerusalem Academy of Music under Mendi Rodan. He also studied with Franco Ferrara in Sienna and Rome, with Kiril Kondrashin in Holland, and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. He received First Prize in the Conductor's International Competition in Besanon, France in 1978, and became assistant to Lorin Maazel at the Cleveland Orchestra for six years, serving as Resident Conductor from 1980 to 1984.
Presenter
China National Symphony Orchestra
China National Symphony Orchestra (CNSO) is one of the most outstanding professional symphony orchestras in China. Originally founded as the Central Philharmonic Orchestra of China in 1956, the orchestra was restructured and renamed in 1996. Leading the CNSO into the future are Director Guan Xia (Composer), Principal Conductor Michel Plasson, Laureate Conductor Muhai Tang, Principal Resident Conductor Li Xincao, Principal Guest Conductor En Shao as well as Guest Conductor Chen Xieyang.
For almost half a century, the CNSO has introduced Chinese audiences to a vast repertoire of classical, romantic, modern and contemporary orchestral works by both Western and Asian composers. Throughout its history, the CNSO has collaborated with many world famous artists in order to bring excellence to its audiences. CNSO audiences have been thrilled by famous conductors such as Ormandy, Herbert von Karajan, Seiji Ozawa, Charles Dutoit, Kurt Masur, Slatkin, Rozhestvendsky, Schwarz and Peress. Other well-known guest artists have included composer and conductor Krzystof Penderecki, instrumentalists David Oistrakh, Yehudi Menuhin, Isaac Stern, Mutter, Martha Argerich, Yo-Yo Ma, Mischa Maisky, Shaham, Wang Jian, Lang Lang, Li Yundi, Lin Choliang and Lindemann.
The CNSO has toured throughout the USA, the United Kingdom, Germany, Austria, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, Australia, Mexico, Japan, DPR of Korea, Republic of Korea, Malaysia and Thailand, giving successful performances to critical acclaim by the international press. In London, a music critic for The Times praised the CNSO as "a mature group with a vital sound". American music critics noted that "the CNSO is an honorable member of the world music stage". In Europe, critics headlined the orchestra as "a great orchestra appears among the Kings of Orchestral Music ".
China NCPA Concert Hall Orchestra
In spring 2010, China NCPA Orchestra unveiled to public. NCPA's Artistic Director of Music, Maestro Chen Zuohuang is the orchestra's Principal Conductor, and Singapore-born conductor Joshua Kangming Tan is engaged as the Residential Conductor. More than half of its musicians have oversea experiences, together with a number of excellent artists who have won national and international competitions. The orchestra performs in most of NCPA's own productions of operas and ballets, together with presenting its own concert series under the name of China NCPA
Concert Hall Orchestra.
The orchestra's first public performance was in NCPA Opera Festival 2010, in which the orchestra performed in Xi Shi, Carmen, La Traviata, and l'Elisir d'Amore, their performances won great acclaim from world-top artists including Lorin Maazel and Christoph Eschenbach. Afterwards in 2010, the orchestra performed in NCPA's production of Turandot, NCPA's original dance drama Marco Polo, and Don Quixote (ballet) with Dutch National Ballet.
Under the name of China NCPA Concert Hall Orchestra, concerts with famous artists such as the principal soloists from Berlin Philharmoniker, legendary baritone Leo Nucci, and pianist Yuja Wang opened the orchestra's first concert series. Afterwards, the orchestra held concerts with a spectrum of repertoire ranged from Baroque pieces to contemporary works, under famous maestros such as Lorin Maazel, Gunter Herbig, together with top artists including Stephen Kovacevich, Lu Siqing, Ning Feng, Zhao Jing, etc. The orchestra also participated "NCPA May Festival" and "Roam about the Classics" series concert, plus the cross-over concerts with Japanese composer Joe Hisaishi and "Around the World with Disney" concerts won enthusiastic response from younger audiences. After the successful performance of La Traviata in June, Maestro Lorin Maazel immediately decided to return to Beijing in September 2010 to conduct two successful concerts with the orchestra, and further cooperation between Maestro Maazel and China NCPA Orchestra is planning.
China NCPA Orchestra is also devoted to educational and outreach activities. The orchestra has presented a series of successful weekend educational matinee concerts since September 2010 under Joshua Kangming Tan. With a carefully selected repertoire blended with famous masterpieces and rarely performed works, those concerts won great acclaim from both audience and critics.
China NCPA Orchestra made its first appearance outside Beijing in December 2010. Under the invitation of Hainan Provincial Government, Maestro Chen Zuohuang conducted two concerts in Haikou, Hainan Province on Dec. 29th and 30th, won great acclaim both in Hainan Province and nationwide. Then in January 2011, the orchestra joined the tour of NCPA's production of Turandot to S. Korea, presented four successful performances under the baton of Li Xincao.
The NCPA aims to build a world class orchestra with operation and management conforms to global practices, albeit with Chinese characteristics.
China National Symphony Orchestra Chorus
Founded in 1949, China National Symphony Orchestra Choir was formerly called as Music Ensemble of the Central Conservatory of Music, which formed the Central Orchestra with Symphony Orchestra in 1956. It is now known as China National Symphony Orchestra Choir. Currently, it gets together 60 members who are all top graduates from nationwide conservatories of music in China.
In the early 1950s, China National Symphony Orchestra Choir won gold and silver medals of 'World Youth Festival' Chorus Competition twice, respectively. In 1959, it premiered Beethoven's (Choral) Symphony No. 9. In 1979, it participated in 'the 1st International Choral Festival' in the Philippines. The audiences spoke highly of their singing which was 'crisp and sweet like high-quality porcelain'. In 1985, it performed in Hong Kong 'Yellow River Music Festival', which was warmly welcomed. In 1986, it ranked No.1 of the First Prize for Professional Performing Arts Groups in 'the 2nd Beijing Choral Festival' with outstanding performance. In 1992, it visited Singapore, performed Yellow River Cantata and other domestic and foreign choral masterpieces, and caused local sensation. In August 1993, it visited the United States and Canada, and attended 'the 3rd International Choral Symposium' in Vancouver, Canada. In 1995, it visited Malaysia and held choral concerts in ten cities, which was warmly welcomed by the local Chinese. In 1993 and 1995, it toured in six cities of Taiwan twice, which was not only much appreciated, but also made a positive contribution to promoting understanding and friendship between the cross-strait compatriots. After Hong Kong's return to China in 1997, it revisited Hong Kong and held three choral concerts with different repertoire. In 1998, it was invited to Macao to perform in 'the 12th Macao International Music Festival'. It also tours throughout the country, records music for movie and television works, and records repertoires for radio stations and record companies. Its performance is generally a part of performance by China National Symphony Orchestra during performance season. In December 2007, it participated in opening concert performance for Concert Hall of NCPA. Since 2006, it presented 'Warm Christmas Eve - Christmas and New Year Concert' in Beijing Concert Hall for two consecutive years, which was held from 7:00 PM to the advent of Christmas Day. With wonderful singing, dancing and lively performance style, this presents distinctive performance in Beijing.
Through long-term artistic practice, China National Symphony Orchestra Choir develops a unique style, which can accurately interpret choral works with different periods and different styles.
NCPA Chorus
NCPA Chorus was established in December 8, 2009, whose members are carefully selected from music schools around China. Now the Chorus has Wu Lingfen as the conductor, with many artists well-known in China and abroad giving instructions. Affiliated to NCPA, the highest palace of performing arts in China, the Chorus adheres to NCPA’s guiding principles of "for the people, for the arts, and for the world". The Chorus mainly stages operas and concerts, and also takes part in kinds of cultural communication events. Ever since its establishment, the Chorus has taken part in the performances of the music and dance epic Road to Revive. Then, on May 2nd, 2010, the Chorus presented its debut performance in the Concert Hall of NCPA, and later the "2010 NCPA Opera Festival Concert", "Roam About the Classics—Chorus Classics in the Opera World: China NCPA Concert Hall Orchestra and Chorus Concert", the "NCPA Chorus Concert for the Army Day", to name just a few. As a crucial group in the artistic production of NCPA, the Chorus has taken part in and gained critical acclaim from the performances of NCPA’s original opera Xi Shi conducted by Chen Zuohuang, French opera Carmen, La Traviata conducted by Lorin Maazel, and L’elisir d’amore conducted by Lu Jia.
The Chorus offers over a hundred performances in 2010 with the highlights including various concerts in the autumn season, performances in the NCPA version of Turandot and NCPA original opera Xi Shi at the end of this year, among others, which would surely contribute to the development of NCPA.
Shenzhen High School Lily Youth Choir
Founded in 1997, Shenzhen High School Lily Youth Choir is hailed as 'Pride of Shenzhen' and 'Culture Namecard of Shenzhen'. It consists of the students from famous purple castle - Shenzhen Senior High School. All members have wonderful music talent and love choral music. As its name 'Lily' suggests, this choir is an excellent collective characterized by auspice, harmony, friendship, cooperation and sincerity. All members seek knowledge, live a happy life and enjoy happy growth in this family, who radiate the bloom of early youth.
Shenzhen High School Lily Youth Choir always gets great support from Shenzhen Municipal People's Government. It is committed to adhering to the purposes of promoting Chinese folk culture, introducing the worldwide folk music and pushing forward entrusted created choral works. Guided by Wang Xizhen (the first-ever conductor of Shenzhen Lily Youth Choir and famous choral expert), the choir emerges as award-winning group in domestic and international choral competitions with rich, moving and influencing voice characteristics and ever-changing performance strength, which also publishes choral albums entitled Rainbow after Rain and Complete Choral Works of Chinese Folk Songs. Since October 2010, Hu Manxue succeeds to serve as the conductor of the choir.
Shenzhen High School Lily Youth Choir is often sent to undertake overseas cultural exchanges. In 2009, it went to Belgrade and represented Shenzhen (Host City of the 26th World University Games) to perform on Flag Handover Ceremony in Closing Ceremony of the 25th World University Games. Its vibrant singing aroused strong echoes from tens of thousands of spectators. In 2008, it accompanied governmental delegation to stage a visiting performance in Pyongyang, and its perfect performance deeply touched audiences of North Korea.
The choir annually holds many concerts on a regular basis. It is often invited to participate in a variety of major performances and charity events. Its footprint extensively sweeps throughout Australia, Canada, the UK, Austria, South Korea, Spain, Germany, Serbia, North Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Macau, Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, etc. It joins hands with many conductors (such as Chen Xieyang, Chen Zuohuang, Zhang Guoyong, Yu Feng, Christian Howard, and Li Xincao), China National Symphony Orchestra, Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra, Russian State Symphony Orchestra, Russian State Ballet Troupe, Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, China National Opera House, Shanghai Opera House, Macao Symphony Orchestra and Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra. It plays the role of children's chorus in operas Tosca and Carmen, ballet drama The Nutcracker, Mahler's Symphony No.3, Carmina Burana, Harmony Music of China, Symphonic Mountain Song·Hakka New Rhyme.
The children members of Shenzhen High School Lily Youth Choir erect a music bridge singing to communicate with the world with their sounds of nature and simple performances. In September 2011, the choir will visit USA and hold a special concert in Kennedy Centre for the Performing Arts in Washington.
