Presented byThe University of Sydney Confucius Institute Sydney Conservatorium of Music

The Confucius Day Celebration

Tan Wei: True Music of the Erhu27 September 2015

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Message From the Deputy of Vice Chancellor

We are delighted to welcome you to our annual Confucius Day performance, featuring erhu master Tan Wei. Tan Wei’s performance is part of an annual series of our inter-cultural initiatives. I know that some of you still have wonderful memories of last year’s celebration by pipa virtuoso Wu Man.

Erhu (Chinese: 二胡; pinyin: èrhú) can be traced back to proto-Mongolic instruments introduced to China more than a thousand years ago. It is believed to have originated from the Xi people of Central Asia, and have come to China in the 10th century. In Australia, not many people know of the erhu, but it was one of the most popular instruments in China. It certainly has a special place in my heart.

I grew up in the 70’s in Hunan Province, China during the Cultural Revolution when China closed its doors to the West. Classical music and instruments were banned. The cultural life of the Chinese people was bland and limited. The erhu seemed to be the only instrument allowed on show at concerts. As it was affordable and relatively easy to learn, it became a popular means by which people used to express their emotions and artistry in China.

I have always dreamt of producing an erhu concert for an Australian audience. When I saw Tan Wei’s performance as the soloist at Oscar-winning composer Tan Dun’s Crouching Tiger Concerto for Erhu and Chamber Orchestra with Sydney Symphony at Sydney Opera House in 2013, I knew she was the perfect erhu musician to realise this dream.

We are very thrilled to present Tan Wei: True Music of the Erhu to you today. At this concert, Tan Wei will be accompanied by young musicians of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music in a program of 20th Century masterworks including Tan Dun’s stunning piece Crouching Tiger Concerto.

I hope that you will enjoy this special celebration and experience the power and spirit of Tan Wei’s performance.

Xing JinGeneral Manager, Confucius Institute The University of Sydney

Foreword

The University of Sydney has a long history of engagement with China. It was the first university in Australia to teach Chinese language and culture and welcome Chinese students after the Cultural Revolution. The University has since developed distinguished networks and enjoys comprehensive engagement with China. We are committed to spreading our passion and understanding of Chinese culture to the greater Sydney community.

The University’s Confucius Institute was established in 2008 to cultivate a better understanding of Chinese culture in Australia. In the past six years, through its teaching programs and community outreach cultural events, the Institute has developed a public profile within the University and Sydney, and has become an integral part of the University’s China strategy. The Institute has established a very successful Chinese language program, complementing the already strong tradition of Chinese language teaching at the University. The Institute also presented a series of successful cultural events in partnership with notable Australian organisations such as the University’s Sydney Conservatorium of Music, the City of Sydney, the Sydney Festival, the Art Gallery of NSW and Theatre of Image.

Today we are proud to welcome the winner of China’s prestigious music award “Golden Bell” Tan Wei, who is one of China’s most celebrated erhu players. This afternoon’s performance is particularly special as Tan Wei will be accompanied by a group of students from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. The partnership between the Institute and the Conservatorium has enabled us to host a variety of high-quality Chinese cultural events where we can bring cultures from the East and West together.

I would like to thank all our partners, teachers, students and the public who have supported and contributed to the continual development of the Confucius Institute over the past six years.

I hope you enjoy the performance.

Professor Duncan Ivison Deputy of Vice Chancellor (Research) The Chair of Confucius Institute BoardThe University of Sydney

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Tan Wei: True Music of the ErhuSunday 27 September 2pm Verbrugghen Hall

Sydney Conservatorium of Music

Program 节目单

Zhou Wei 葡萄熟了

The Turpan Grapes Are Ripe

Huang Haihuai 江河水

River Waters

Liu Tianhua空山鸟语

Bird Song in a Desolate Mountain

Zhao Jiping乔家大院交响组曲—情爱

Qiao’s Grand Courtyard – Love

Wang Jianmin 第二二胡狂想曲

Second Erhu Rhapsody

Sam Wu来自远东的帕萨卡利亚

Passacaglia en pointe (World Premiere)

Zeng Wei弦歌

Erhu Concerto (World Premiere)

Tan Dun卧虎藏龙二胡协奏曲

Crouching Tiger Concerto for Erhu and Chamber Orchestra

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Tan Wei 谭蔚

Winner of the most prestigious award for traditional musicianship in China, the Golden Bell award, Tan Wei is one of the most celebrated erhu performers of her generation.

Originally from Hunan province, Tan Wei was admitted to China Conservatory of Music in 2005. While studying she was awarded a number of scholarships, including the Chinese Academy of Music Tan Xiaowei Scholarship and the Folk Instrument Liu Mingyuan Scholarship.

She has performed with many leading orchestras including the Chinese Broadcasting Orchestra, Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Schleswig Holstein Festival Orchestra, Toledo Symphony Orchestra, and the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra.

Since winning China’s National Erhu Competition Prize for New Work in 2009, Tan Wei has become a champion of contemporary works for classical Chinese instruments. She has been invited to participate in a variety of CCTV live concerts and special events including the opening ceremony of the Italian World Conference on Education, the International Music Festival and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit, as well as the Hang Zhou West Lake International Music Festival and the closing ceremony of the third West Lake International Expo.

Tan Wei is also a celebrated recording artist. As one of the China’s most-recognised erhu soloists she has performed live and completed major recordings with many established national orchestras. Tan Wei has also gained recognition worldwide and has performed in Europe, Africa and Asia.

Accompanying Musicians from Sydney Conservatorium of Music悉尼音乐学院伴奏

ViolinRachael Kwa, Annabelle Traves, Tobias Aan, Kohki IwasakiViolaJosephine Lumanao, Uilleac Whelan CelloRebekah Kwa, James LarsenDouble bassCaroline RyversPiano Pavle Cajic

About the Erhu二胡简介

The erhu (Chinese: 二胡; pinyin: èrhú) can be traced back to proto-Mongolic instruments introduced to China more than a thousand years ago. It is believed to have originated from the Xi people of Central Asia, and to have come to China in the 10th century. It is a two-stringed bowed musical instrument, and sometimes known as the “Chinese violin” or a “Chinese two-stringed fiddle”. Due to its versatility it can be used as a solo instrument as well as in small ensembles and large orchestras in both traditional and contemporary music arrangements, such as in pop, rock and jazz.

About the Music乐曲简介

Zhou Wei 葡萄熟了 The Turpan Grapes Are Ripe

Transcribed from a very famous Uygur folk song of the same name, it tells the love story between a Uygur girl and a soldier on the frontier.

改编自同名歌曲，以葡萄象征爱情，讲述了一个名叫阿娜尔罕的维吾尔姑娘对驻守边疆的爱人的思念与期待，富有浓郁的新疆民族风格。

Huang Haihuai 江河水 River Waters

This piece is an adaptation from traditional folk music depicting a wife who upon hearing the death of her beloved husband’s passing in the remote lands, returns to the riverside where she had seen him off to sing her memories, love, and sorrow to the flow of the water.

改编自传统民间音乐。传说在古代，有一对恩爱的夫妻。丈夫在远方服劳役，客死外乡。妻子闻讯后来到送别丈夫的江边，面对滔滔江水回忆往事，悲戚思念如江水般波涛汹涌流向远方。

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Liu Tianhua空山鸟语 Bird Song in a Desolate Mountain

Composed by erhu master Liu Tianhua in 1918, it portrays a poetic scenery of birds singing and echoing with one another in a deep mountain valley. It is a tribute to life and its harmony with nature.

二胡之父刘天华作于1918年，标题采自于唐王维诗：“空山不见人，但闻人语响。”此曲描绘了深山幽谷，百鸟嘤啼的优美意境，如诗如画，生机盎然，是对自然与生命的热烈礼赞。

Zhao Jiping 乔家大院交响组曲 — 情爱

Qiao’s Grand Courtyard – Love

Qiao’s Grand Courtyard - Love is a movement from the Symphonic Suite composed for the famous TV series Qiao’s Grand Courtyard. It is about the life story of a Shanxi merchant from the Qing Dynasty.

此曲是赵季平先生改编自他创作的电视连续剧《乔家大院》配乐，描述了清代山西商人乔致庸坎坷的人生经历。“情爱”是其中一个乐章，描绘主人公曲折优美的爱情历程。

Wang Jianmin第二二胡狂想曲 Second Erhu Rhapsody

Inspired by the Hunan Flower Drum Opera and Hunan folk music melody, this composition exhibits strong flavors of local colors blended with modern music techniques to create lyrical tension and vitality.

此曲原始素材取自湖南花鼓戏及部分湖南民歌曲调，具有浓郁的民族风格与地域色彩，并融汇了现代作曲技法，风格鲜活，充满张力。

Sam Wu 来自远东的帕萨卡利亚 Passacaglia en pointe (World Premiere)

Passacaglia is inspired by ballet, one of the composer’s favourite art forms. The composer seeks to create the sense of grace, poise, balance and strength of ballet dancers, and blur the line between the roles of the ballet and music.

此曲灵感源自于芭蕾。在该作品中，作曲家寻求重构芭蕾舞者那令人着迷的平衡、优雅和力量的完美结合，从而打破芭蕾舞蹈与音乐之间的传统界限。

Zeng Wei弦歌 Erhu Concerto (World Premiere)

This style of music is a genre of Gu Qin music in ancient China, however this piece incorporates an erhu and a string quartet to create a poetic melody.

弦歌本是中国古琴音乐的一种体裁，但这首作品是用中国的二胡和西方的弦乐器来营造一种轻盈飘忽诗意般的情绪。

Tan Dun卧虎藏龙二胡协奏曲

Crouching Tiger Concerto for Erhu and Chamber Orchestra

Adapted from Oscar-Award winning film score of Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, this is a masterful mixture of different Chinese traditional music styles, from the subtle and tender southern bamboo forests to the harsh and bleak western desert, depicting the immortal spirit of the ancient martial fighters of devotion and freedom.

此曲是谭盾根据他配乐的奥斯卡获奖影片《卧虎藏龙》改编而来，融汇了多种中国传统音乐风格，场景从秀丽婉约的江南竹林到空旷苍凉的西域大漠，展现了古代侠士豪迈坚贞、自由不羁的不朽情怀。

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About the University of Sydney Confucius Institute 悉尼大学孔子学院简介

The University of Sydney Confucius Institute was officially launched on 17 June 2008. It is a collaboration between The University of Sydney and the Office Chinese Language Council International in China, in partnership with Fudan University, Shanghai. The first to be established in New South Wales, the Institute has attracted thousands of people to its popular Chinese language and culture programs over the years.

In 2012, the Confucius Institute partnered with The University’s Centre for Continuing Education to cater for the growing interest in China and the Chinese language by offering an extensive range of courses. More than 800 students enrolled in our Chinese language and culture courses last year.

The Confucius Institute is committed to spreading a passion and understanding of Chinese culture to the greater Sydney community. In the past six years, the Institute has partnered with organisations such as the City of Sydney, Sydney Festival, the Art Gallery of NSW, Theatre of Image and Sydney Conservatorium of Music to organise a variety of high-quality Chinese cultural events to bridge the cultural gap and celebrate the friendship between Chinese and Australian people.

Some of our successful events include Chinese opera performances, Gu Qin concerts, Chinese folk song concerts, Chinese arts and calligraphy exhibitions, and Tai Ji national competitions. Our public lecture series have sparked conversations and debates on a range of topics, from ‘Chinese Traditional Medicine and Well-being’ and ‘The History of Chinese Cuisine’ to ‘Political Legitimacy in China: A Confucian Perspective’. Our events have been attended by thousands of University of Sydney’s staff and students, and members of the public. Our partnership with Fudan University in China has enabled us to share our resources and host several international academic conferences and China Culture Study Tours, offering Chinese and Australian scholars an opportunity to exchange ideas and share their knowledge.

To find out more about the Confucius Institute, please visit: www.sydney.edu.au/confucius_institute.

The University of Sydney Confucius Institute Program悉尼大学孔子学院课程

Chinese Language ProgramThe Confucius Institute and Centre for Continuing Education jointly provide a range of Chinese language programs to suit both beginner and intermediate levels.

Why Learn Chinese with Us?• Well-designed course structure and content• Experienced and well-trained native-speaking Chinese teachers• Small classes and individual coaching time• Internationally acclaimed university textbooks• Scholarship opportunity for China Culture Study Tour• Free Conversational Chinese workshop

Term 4 Chinese Language Courses Starting from 6 October 6:30pm-8:30pm

Tai Ji 24 Forms CourseStarting from 12 October 6:30pm-8:00pm

Chinese Painting CourseStarting from 13 October 6:30pm-8:30pm

Sydney Ideas: Liu Cixin In Conversation Date: 3 November 6:00pm-7:30pm

To register or find out more about our program, please visit: www.sydney.edu.au/confucius_institute

Tan Wei: True Music of the Erhu is presented by the University of Sydney Confucius Institute in association with Sydney Conservatorium of Music.

Concert Director Xing JinMusic Advisor Tan Wei Concert Presenter Natasha Cheng Marketing Advisor Luke Nestorowicz Marketing Xing Jin Event Coordinator Vicki XinArtist Liaison Chloe ChungChinese Translator Feng YanVenue Manager Jane Marshall Art and design by Tianli Zu, specially commissioned by the University of Sydney Confucius Institute

SPECIAL THANKSTan Dun, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon Erhu ConcertoSam Wu, Passacaglia en pointe (World Premiere)Zeng Wei, Erhu Concerto (World Premiere)

Contact UsThe University of Sydney Confucius InstituteRoom 207, Old Teachers’ College (A22)The University of SydneyCamperdown NSW 2006 T +61 2 9114 0760E confucius.institute@sydney.edu.au© Copyright 2015 All rights reserved The University of Sydney Confucius Institute