Sharing the Joys of Chamber Music
NYO-China returned in 2018 as a festival dedicated to the study and performance of chamber music. Following an especially competitive audition process, twenty-one student musicians were selected to spend two weeks at the Central Conservatory of Music immersed in some of chamber music’s great works, rehearsing intimately with both faculty and peers to ready those pieces for performance. Thereafter, students joined their faculty onstage in a series of recitals held throughout China, including destinations in Beijing, Shanghai, and Qingdao.
Qing Li
Strings
Astonishing in her musical versatility, Qing Li brings great warmth, poise, and insight to her music making. She serves as the Baltimore Symphony’s Principal Second Violin and a sought-after recitalist, chamber musician, and guest concertmaster. Li is also currently a member of the violin faculty at the Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University. She frequently gives master classes at conservatories and international festivals in the United States, Asia, and South America. Born in Beijing, China, Li began violin studies at age four with her father. At age 12, she was accepted to the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing and later continued her studies at Peabody on full scholarship. Li currently performs on a Neapolitan instrument made by Nicolo Gagliano in 1736.
Yong Ma
Woodwinds
Yong Ma is Principal Flute at the China National Opera and has been hailed by the New York Concert Review as a player of “astonishing brilliance.” He began studying flute at the age of eight in China and later became a student of Yongxin Wang at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. In 1996, Ma came to the United States and later earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the Juilliard School in New York, where he studied with Carol Wincenc and Robert Langevin. Before his current role at the China National Opera, he served as Principal Flute in the Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra and the Louisville Orchestra. Ma has performed with the New York Philharmonic, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Malaysian Philharmonic, and the Juilliard Orchestra.
Guang Chen
Brass
Guang Chen is a Professor of Trumpet at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, the Chief Executive Director of China’s Orchestra Academy, and the Visiting Principal Trumpeter with the China National Symphony Orchestra. He is a former student of Professor Ji Rui-kai and in 1999 he was sponsored by the Zubin Mehta Scholarship to study at the University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna. Since graduating in 2005, Chen has performed as the visiting Principal Trumpeter for multiple world-famous orchestras including the China Philharmonic Orchestra, the National Ballet of China, and many other municipal orchestras. In addition to numerous accolades from Chinese music critics, Chen has regularly been named by CCTV as one of the Top Ten Trumpeters in China.
Yale Center Beijing
Halfway through their residency, NYO-China students were able to preview their work at an event held at the Yale Center Beijing. Hosted by Robert Blocker, Dean of the Yale School of Music, and attended by leaders and faculty from conservatories all across China, the recital was also streamed live to over 150,000 viewers across China.
CCOM Opera & Concert Hall
After two weeks of preparation, the Class of 2018 made their official debut with a sold-out concert at the Central Conservatory of Music’s Opera & Concert Hall. There, they played pieces alongside their faculty mentors in a performance praised by the Chinese Critics’ Society as “a huge success” and of “superb artistic quality.”
US Embassy in Beijing
In a fortunate coincidence, NYO-USA’s 2018 Asia Tour brought the orchestra to Beijing just before NYO-China was about to depart. To take advantage of this, students from both programs were selected to perform a joint program at the United States Embassy in Beijing, with US Ambassador to China Terry Branstad in attendance.
Chuansha Piano Festival
For its penultimate performance, NYO-China opened the Chuansha Piano Festival in a concert held in memory of Huang Zi, the first Chinese graduate of the Yale School of Music. Students delighted audiences in attendance, including the festival chair Keng Zhou, also known as one of the premier professors of piano within China.
NYU Shanghai
Following their performances in Beijing, NYO-China traveled to Pudong to perform a sold-out concert at NYU Shanghai. After being welcomed by Chancellor Lizhong Yu, the Class of 2018 and their mentors entertained students and dignitaries from the university, as well as friends, family, and teachers from all across Shanghai.
Qingdao Eurochestries Festival
NYO-China concluded its 2018 Chamber Series by traveling to Qingdao and playing in the city’s Eurochestries Festival, an annual gathering of ensembles from all over the world, including and especially Europe. In addition to performing, students also were able to listen to and befriend their Western counterparts.
Residency
NYO-China held its residency at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, widely considered to be one of the finest musical institutions in not just China, but the entire world. There, students undertook intensive rehearsals with their faculty to develop a deeper understanding of the chamber works they were about to perform. When they were not rehearsing, students were also able to take advantage of the conservatory’s prime location, engaging with many of Beijing’s cultural offerings, including concerts at the nearby National Center for the Performing Arts.
Rehearsals at CCOM
NYO-China’s students participated in a demanding set of rehearsals under the close supervision of faculty artists Qing Li, Yong Ma, and Guang Chen. Members spent the full two-week residency engaged in a deep study several of the great works spanning the chamber repertoire, participating in multiple rehearsals every day with their ensemble and faculty coach. Students also received weekly private lessons and masterclasses from instrumental faculty including some of Beijing's most prominent educators and were able to take advantage of ample time for individual practice and group rehearsal.