Program correct at time of printing

Presenting Partner

DONG FEI KUN OPERA SINGERA male specialised in playing dan (female) roles, this young Peking opera actor competed a Master’s degree at the Chinese Arts Research Institute and has worked with the Chinese National Peking Opera Company. He trained in Peking opera with Li Yufang and studied Kun Opera under Zhang Jiqing and Gu Weiying.

Although focusing on traditional theatre, Dong also explores cross-media and cultural arts, seeking to expand the space of traditional arts in the contemporary world. He has performed in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, Singapore and Italy.

GAO CHONG TAI CHI PERFORMERA kung fu practitioner since age six, Gao Chong won gold in spearplay and swordsmanship at the Shanghai Kung Fu Championship and was ranked first both at the Shanghai Tai Chi Championship and in the tai chi contest at the Ninth Shanghai International Kung Fu Expo. He was champion in the tai chi sword contest at the National Kung Fu Tournament and in the tai chi form at the National Tai Chi Tournament.

Gao also performed in the drama Budihi in the Wind in 2012 and was elected Taijizen Ambassador in 2013. He has represented China in numerous countries across the world.

JUN TIAN YUN HE ENSEMBLEFounded by Wang Peng in 2010 as a professional music group committed to promoting the aesthetics and culture of qin music in contemporary China, the Jun Tian Yun He Ensemble is a collection of artists dedicated to traditional Chinese cultural pursuits. The name is derived from Lushi Chunqiu (‘Spring and Autumn of Master Lu’), a work of ancient Chinese literature dating from the Warring States period of the 5th century BC.

In Chinese myth, Jun Tian is the centre of the universe – the celestial land where the emperor of Heaven dwells. The term jun tian guang yue (‘the music of Jun Tian’) is often used to describe ‘heavenly’ music. Yun He is the name of a mountain where the perfect wood for manufacturing the qin instrument was sourced in ancient China.

The Ensemble uses the audiovisual arts as a medium to showcase a contemporary Chinese aesthetic, to refresh and purify the spirit, and to enhance social wellbeing. The Jun Tian Yun He Ensemble strives to champion not only qin music and culture, but also represent artists from all across the world committed to fairness and peace.

MELBOURNE FESTIVALMelbourne Festival is one of the world’s leading arts festivals, and a premier celebration of art and culture from around the world. Each Festival brings an unparalleled feast of dance, theatre, music, visual arts, multimedia and outdoor events from renowned and upcoming Australian and international companies and artists to Melbourne.

Melbourne Festival exclusively debuts and premieres the finest local, national and international events, ensuring that Melbourne is the only place in Australia that many of them are seen.

The 2014 Melbourne Festival includes almost 100 events, including 15 world premieres, 21 Australian premieres, and 6 specially commissioned works. It features over 1,000 artists from 23 different countries, and occupies more than 30 venues.

Melbourne Festival10 – 26 October 2014melbournefestival.com.au

President The Hon Linda Dessau AMDeputy President Philip CornishTreasurer Paul KirkSecretary Louise Adler AMDirectors Rob Brookman, Sally Bruce,

Ian McDougall, Simon Ryan, Wai Tang, Neil Waters, David Whittle

Creative Director Josephine RidgeExecutive Director Katie McLeish

WANG PENG DIRECTOR & GUQIN PLAYERFounder of Jun Tian Fang and the Jun Tian Yun He Ensemble, Wang Peng is a contemporary guqin virtuoso performer and designer of aesthetic spaces, as well as a master guqin maker and inheritor of traditional qin-making skills, considered an Intangible Cultural Heritage of China.

In 2008, a qin made by Wang was used to play ‘The Lost Sound of Antiquity’ at the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games. Qin crafted by Wang are known for their elegance, purity and roundness of tone.

Wang’s musical style as a qin master is simple, unadorned and unique. He was the first artist to stage qin concerts within traditional settings while creating a multifaceted artistic experience utilising space, vision and sound.

DU DAPENG GUQIN PLAYERDu Dapeng is an acclaimed qin virtuoso who has mastered both traditional Chinese and Western instruments such as violin, piano and especially guitar, for which he has received many awards. In recent years, he has dedicated his time principally to education, training and promotion of qin music and culture.

Du has been invited to perform at countless events, schools and universities worldwide. His style of qin playing is simple and elegant, and he is noted for his lively and robust live performances. He won Gold at the 2013 International Chinese Music Competition in the United States.

HUANG WENYI GUQIN PLAYERHuang Wenyi is a council member of the Guqin Professional Committee under the China Nationalities Orchestra Society, as well as the director of the Wenyi Guqin Club. She learned guqin under the acclaimed Chinese guqin masters Gong Yi and Wu Wenguang, as well as taking postgraduate courses at the Chinese Conservatory of Music.

Huang has studied guqin culture for many years and has gained invaluable experience both in teaching and performance. She now serves as chief director of concert guqin for the Beijing Zhengyici Peking Opera Theatre, as well as regularly performing in live concert.

WU NA GUQIN PLAYERWu Na began her training under guqin masters Zhao Jiazhen and Li Xiangting at age nine. She later entered the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, where she became the first in China to receive a Masters degree in guqin performance. She has won countless awards in Chinese guqin competitions, and has also published an instructional book.

Inspired to seek a new contemporary voice for the guqin, she performs and records with jazz, rock and avant-garde artists, as well as modern dance and drama theaters. She also runs a monthly concert project for young guqin performers in Beijing.

SONG ZHAO CELLISTSong Zhao is a freelance artist, pioneer avant-garde cello player, independent art curator, experimental composer and founder of concepts such as ARTstudio, DNAtrio, and CANON. He is a leading exponent of Silent Sound Art Studio and also cofounder of North Lab Mongolia Experimental Music.

Song’s work spans art planning, cello performance, experimental music, improvisational music, visual art and collaborative art. He has been a guest concertmaster and cellist with the Philharmonic Orchestra as well as visiting professor at the Beijing Dance Academy.

DU JINPENG THROAT SINGERDu Jinpeng is a solo singer with the Jun Tian Yun He Ensemble and a member of the Guqin Professional Committee under the China Nationalities Orchestra Society. He has worked both in pop music performance and music education for many years.

Du has won many awards, such as Excellence in Tutoring at the 2007 Art Festival of International Adolescents in Hong Kong and Excellence in Tutoring at the 2010 Art Festival of International Adolescents in Asia. His singing is known for its maturity and emotive power.

LIU XINRAN THROAT SINGERLiu Xinran studied Peking opera techniques under Zhang Manling, a famous performer of the Cheng School – one of the four major schools of Peking opera for dan (female) roles. In the past, only males were allowed to perform Peking opera. Performing in this hallowed tradition, Liu has become one of the most popular female impersonators in China.

Liu Xinran also performs Kunqu Opera and in musicals and other plays. He has performed internationally several times and has given interviews on CCTV, BTV and BBC. JUN TIAN YUN HE ENSEMBLE

JUN TIAN YUN HE ENSEMBLE

Sun 19 Oct ELISABETH MURDOCH HALL

MELBOURNE FESTIVAL AND MELBOURNE RECITAL CENTRE IN ASSOCIATION WITH PLAYKING FOUNDATION PRESENT

Fri 17 & Sat 18 Oct SALON

LOFTY MOUNTAINS AND FLOWING WATER

THE WAY OF GUQIN

AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE

CHEN YIMO CALLIGRAPHYChinese calligrapher, painter and qin musician Chen Yimo graduated from Xian Fine Art Academy with a major in traditional Chinese painting. He has devoted himself to study of qin, painting and sculpting ever since.

Both a board member of the Chinese national qin association and member of the Chinese calligraphers’ association, Chen has published hundreds of essays on qin, traditional painting and calligraphy, as well as authoring several books on Chinese calligraphy and qin music.

LIU FANG TEA CEREMONY & PRODUCERA graduate of Beijing Language and Culture University majoring in French language and culture, Liu Fang has served since 2011 as Cultural Affairs Manager of Jun Tian Fang – a group devoted to spreading the music of the historic seven-stringed guqin, as well as protecting its intangible culture.

Liu’s work with Jun Tian Fang includes such diverse aspects as performance, education, publishing and exhibitions.

SUN LIANG FLOWER ARRANGING & INCENSEAs President of Song Feng Chinese Traditional Culture Research Institute, Sun Liang has explored and studied Chinese traditional culture for years: particularly incense, tea and flower arrangement, with a focus on the sophisticated culture of the Song Dynasty.

Among other achievements, he has lectured at Kamakura Cang Jian Ren Temple in Japan, spoken on the history of Chinese incense as part of the Leaving No Tracks exhibition, performed at the Heritage Festival in Saudi Arabia, and spoken on Chinese tea and incense culture in Neu-Isenburg, Germany.

LI XUAN GUQIN PLAYERLi Xuan graduated from Beijing Foreign Studies University with a degree in teaching Chinese as a foreign language. She will graduate from Aalborg University in Denmark this year with a Master’s degree in international relations focusing on Chinese area studies.

Li has been studying guqin art and performance under Wang Peng for several years now. She currently works in Beijing as a teacher of guqin.

LOFTY MOUNTAINS ANDFLOWING WATER JUN TIAN YUN HE ENSEMBLE

From the Jun Tian Yun He Ensemble – a group committed to spreading the music and culture of the majestic, seven-stringed guqin – comes a riveting performance of Lofty Mountains and Flowing Water, one of the most famous traditional works for this ‘instrument of the sages’.

Experience the beauty, power and versatility of the guqin, in natural partnership with cello, guitar and throat and opera singing. Performed alongside an expressive tai chi display, this concert spans the heavenly purity of tradition and the energetic improvisations of contemporary China – the timeless spell of history channelled through a remarkable modern ensemble.

THE WAY OF GUQIN JUN TIAN YUN HE ENSEMBLE

Jun Tian Yun He Ensemble devote their lives to promoting the aesthetics and culture of the qin – or the guqin (‘old strings’), as it is more commonly known – in deference to its three thousand year history. With its deep, elegant tone and expressive force, the guqin has become a symbol of China’s national spirit and traditional music culture.

The Five Dao (‘ways’) of qin, calligraphy, tea ceremony, flower arrangement and incense are central to Chinese traditional culture; these arts are no mere relics of antiquity – they are an essential element of contemporary China.

Over the middle weekend of Melbourne Festival, Melbourne Recital Centre’s Salon transforms into an exhibition and workshop space, as the Jun Tian Yun He Ensemble demonstrate these ancient forms, sharing the artistry and aesthetics that lie at the very heart of Chinese culture.

CALLIGRAPHY CHEN YIMO

FLOWER ARRANGING & INCENSE SUN LIANG

TEA CEREMONY & PRODUCER LIU FANG

QIN PERFORMER & PA LI XUAN

STAGE MANAGER XUE GUANCHAO

MEDIA REPRESENTATIVES FANG YE, LI ZHEN

These performances are made possible through the generous support of the China International Culture Association.

ABOUT THE WAY OF GUQINGuqin is one of the oldest Chinese musical instruments, with a history of over three thousand years. Through this ancient inheritance and development, unique instruments, music compositions and scores have been created and developed over time. With its deep and elegant tone quality and nuanced artistic expressive force, guqin has become a symbol of Chinese national spirit.

Through the long process of development from a simple instrument into a formalised art form, guqin has become an integral part of mainstream Chinese culture. The arts of guqin (zither), qi (chess), shu (calligraphy), hua (painting), shi (poetry), xiang (incense), cha (tea) and hua (flower arrangement) have been recognised by generation after generation as the best representation of traditional Chinese culture. Chinese scholars’ emphasis on these cultural elements reflects the delights, attitudes and lifestyles that were historically pursued. Guqin always leads this list due to its profound place at the centre of Chinese culture and history.

Guqin’s cultural significance goes beyond the instrument itself: with its pure timbre, the guqin is not only helpful in purifying one’s heart and cultivating one’s moral character, but also has such social functions as family regulation, state ruling and universal harmony. Guqin has become a code of conduct in people’s daily lives, and has naturally developed into a symbol for Chinese national cultural spirit. No wonder playing the guqin has transformed from being a mere skill to an actual spiritual practice.

In recent years, Jun Tian Yun He has been making efforts to stage art exhibitions both at home and overseas. Taking qin as a core, these displays interpret the spirit of China’s traditional culture through the aesthetics of contemporary life and modern art. They showcase vital elements of this culture to the world, exposing people to an ancient, essential aesthetic that promotes harmony between humans and nature.

The Five Dao – qin, calligraphy, tea, flower arrangement and incense – have the potential to remould contemporary aesthetics, combining China’s traditional culture and the spirit of art. They exist to inspire and motivate people in all walks of life, creating positive energy that spreads outwards, making contributions across all of society.

PROGRAM Introduction by Carrillo Gantner AO

Lofty Mountains and Flowing WaterGUQIN WANG PENG (‘LOFTY MOUNTAINS’) GUQIN DU DAPENG (‘FLOWING WATER’)

This renowned score was first found in the Shen Qi Mi Pu (‘Tablature Collection of Wonder’) from the Ming Dynasty. Liezi tells the tale of Boya, who was skilled at playing the qin, and Zhong Ziqi, who was skilled at listening to the qin.

Whenever Boya’s playing was inspired by lofty mountains, Zhong Ziqi would remark, ‘How towering, like Mount Tai!’ Whenever Boya was inspired by flowing water, Zhong Ziqi would remark, ‘How vast are the rivers and oceans!’ Whatever mental images inspired Boya while he played, Ziqi never failed to discern them, which amazed and delighted Boya. When Ziqi died, Boya broke his qin strings and vowed never to play again. Thus was the melody of ‘Lofty Mountains and Flowing Water’ born.

Originally there was only ‘Lofty Mountains’, also known as ‘The benevolent enjoy the mountains’, with ‘Flowing Water’, known as ‘The wise enjoy the waters’, coming later. During the Tang Dynasty, these were arranged into two pieces of a whole.

Prologue to a Fine EveningGUQIN WU NA KUN OPERA DONG FEI

Wu Na and Dong Fei have together created this groundbreaking crossover piece, based on motifs from ‘Prologue to a Fine Evening’ with selections from the Kun Opera piece ‘Peony Pavilion: Visiting the Garden’.

Song of the YueGUQIN HUANG WENYI VOCALS LIU XINRAN

Song of the Yue dates back to pre-Qin Dynasty China. According to Liu Xiang’s Shuo Yuan: Shan Shuo, as they rowed their boats the Yue people called out this song for Zixi, the Prince of Chu and Duke of E, to express their affection for him.

The song documents essential communication between the ancient Chu and Yue cultures, which used different dialects. As the first lyrics in translation, this song marked the beginning of the ‘poetry of Chu’, along with other folkloric poems.

No Image – an improvisationGUQIN DU DAPENG CELLO SONG ZHAO

The chiming of the qin, so liberating and free, is complemented here by the deep, plangent tones of the cello to weave a compelling symphony of East and West.

Secret FragranceGUQIN & VOCALS JIN PENG

‘Secret Fragrance’ is a poem written by Jiang Kui during the Southern Song Dynasty. Through his nostalgic memories of plum blossoms, the poet reminisced about his old love and past days:

‘How many times did the moonlight shine on me, as I played my flute under the plum blossom tree? I awakened my dear love and we plucked the plum blossoms together, no matter how cold the weather. I have been getting older and older, and I forget how to express my feelings in verse as I once did.

‘Oh, the cool fragrance of the flowers, just as before, wafts through the bamboo and invades my lonely bed. I live far away and alone, and the night is cold and silent here. Oh, how I long to break off a plum sprig and send it to my love, but I worry that the road is too long, the snow too deep, the journey too hard to bear.

‘I drink, to water my sorrows, facing the plum blossom – silent, weeping and longing. I always remember the times we joined hands, the red plum blossom shadow reflected on the west lake, and my cold feelings blew away. Now the wind scatters the petals – when will I see my love again?’

Without a Trace – an improvisationGUQIN WANG PENG TAI CHI GAO CHONG

The melody of the qin flows like water and is hard to stop; the forms of tai chi blow like the wind and are hard to trace. Performed under a meticulously designed stage lighting design, the combination of qin music with the movements of tai chi highlights the essence of the elegant Eastern arts, a beauty both harmonious and pure.

Farewell at Yang Guan PassGUQIN WANG PENG VOCALS JIN PENG GUITAR DU DAPENG

‘Dust is washed off in town by the morning rain. The inn is all green, and fresh willows reign. Will you have more wine, another glass? You’ll find no more old friends west of the Yang Guan Pass.’

Wang Wei wrote the popular poem ‘Farewell at Wei Cheng City’ during the Tang Dynasty. This poem was scored musically at the time of its writing, with the last sentence being repeated three times – thus it became known as ‘The Three Verses at Yang Guan’. Nowadays the song is considered a quintessential Tang poem, and the phrase ‘Yang Guan’ has become a poetic byword in the context of parting and friendship.1 hour 30 minutes, no interval

DIRECTOR, GUQIN PLAYER WANG PENG

GUQIN PLAYER DU DAPENG

GUQIN PLAYER HUANG WENYI

GUQIN PLAYER WU NA

CELLIST SONG ZHAO

THROAT SINGER DU JINPENG

THROAT SINGER LIU XINRAN

KUN OPERA SINGER DONG FEI

TAI CHI PERFORMER GAO CHONG

This performance is made possible through the generous support of the China International Culture Association.