China Anhui Traditional Orchestra Makes its Debut at Lincoln Center

Since its inception in 1956, the China Anhui Traditional Orchestra (CATO) has established itself as a leading art institution in China's traditional music arena. Using traditional instruments, the orchestra will be performing music in the traditional Anhui folk style at the Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center on February 28th at 8pm. This historic event marks the first time CATO plays in New York. The concert is being presented by China Arts and Entertainment Group (CAEG).

Chinese music started at the dawn of Chinese civilization with documents and artifacts providing evidence of a well-developed musical culture as early as the Zhou Dynasty (1122 to 256 BC). Traditional music in China is played on solo instruments or in ensembles of plucked and bowed string instruments, flutes, cymbals, and drums. Chinese orchestras traditionally consist of bowed strings, woodwinds, plucked strings and percussion.

CATO devotes itself to the research, creation, and performing of traditional Chinese music, and earns its reputation by discovering, recomposing and creating dozens of traditional instrumental works that are all unique and typical of Anhui folk style.

As an "emissary of culture", CATO has successfully toured in more than 30 countries and districts, such as Japan, Korea, Russia, Mexico, Algeria, to name but a few. CATO is also privileged to perform at the ceremonies honoring prime ministers and presidents of Denmark, Zambia, Mali, Mozambique and Yemen.

CATO is rooted in Anhui Province, which is the hometown of Zhu Yuanzhang, the founder and first emperor of the Ming Dynasty, which is regarded as one of China's three golden ages, the other two being the Han and Tang Dynasty. Zhu was born at Fengyang County of Anhui Province. After ascending the throne, he widely bestowed for the benefit of his hometown, while the local people played Fengyang Flower Drum to show their gratitude for infinite royal graciousness. Consequently, Song of Fengyang, a hymn of the Ming Dynasty as well as the Emperor Zhu, went around widely and became publicly well known.

In addition to Song of Fengyang, CATO also choose the most representative pieces of music of Chinese and Anhui culture for its debut in Lincoln Center. The program will begin with Fair Flowers Under Full Moon, Song of Waterfront Village, Swan, Theatre of Anhui Stayle, and Guangling San Melody. The second half of the concert will feature Jasmine Flower, Langya Enchanted, Fishing Song Under the Moon, Thoughts of Red Plums, and Flower Drum Lantern Show, featuring Yu Hongmei on Erhu, Zhao Cong on Pipa and Chen Huilong on Flute and conducted by Zhu Xiaogu.

Yu Hongmei had successfully held a solo concert in Carnegie Hall of New York, Zhao Cong's album Listen to China is the first one of Chinese music in the history of the Universal Music. As for Chen Huilong, there was a joke to show his perfect playing techniques: "Even if you give Chen a rolling pin, he might as well make music out of it." And Zhu Xiaogu was enlisted in the "Dictionary of World Celebrities" by International Biographical Centre of Cambridge University in 1995.

This concert, following the "Qingdao Symphony Orchestra Concert", the "Concert of Outstanding Chinese Musicians and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra", and the dance drama "Forbidden Fruits under the Great Wall", is another Image-China-presented performance in major American theaters by CAEG. And it is really a rare opportunity for Americans to enjoy the traditional Chinese music as well as the exquisite charm of Chinese culture.

The Alice Tully Hall is located at 1941 Broadway (65th Street between Broadway & Amsterdam). Tickets are $30-$50 and are available at http://www.lincolncenter.org or (212) 671-4050.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Zhu Xiaogu, composer and conductor of Shanghai Opera House, national A-class composer, artistic advisor and guest conductor of Anhui Opera and Dancing Troupe, board member of Shanghai Musicians Association, standing board member of China Nationalities Orchestra Society, vice president of Shanghai Nationalities Orchestra Society, standing board member of China Nationalities Orchestra's conductor panel. Currently he is the head of researching faculty at Shanghai Conservatory of Music. Zhu is a prolific composer of dozens of Chinese instrumental music with a variety of genres including erhu concerto, pipa concerto, guzheng concerto, music for wind and percussion. His discography includes 15 recordings either as a composer or a conductor. He has performed in France, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Malaysia and Hong Kong etc. In 1995 he was enlisted in the International Biographical Centre.

Yu Hongmei, associate professor of Central Conservatory of Music, soloist of China Central Nationalities Orchestra. Yu is the first Chinese musician to win the coveted Indie Award (1999) in the category of Best Traditional World Music for the CD entitled String Glamour. In May, 2001, Yu won Promusicis International Award in New York City. In February, 2002, her solo concert was successfully held in Carnegie Hall. And she is the first Chinese folk instrument player to hold solo concert in Carnegie Hall. She has toured extensively in dozens of European, American and Asian countries and regions and introduced Chinese music to world audiences in such prestigious halls as Avery Fischer Hall in NYC, the Eisenhower Theater at the Kennedy Arts Center in Washington DC, Chicago Symphony Orchestra Center, Davis Symphony Hall in San Francisco, and the Theatre des Champs-Elyses in Paris.

Zhao Cong, soloist of China Central Nationalities Orchestra, national A-class player, member of the Young Men's Association of China's State organs and the Ministry of Culture, member of Chinese Musicians Association. She has toured extensively in dozens of European, American and Asian countries and regions and cooperated with many famous orchestras and musicians at home and abroad. She has performed in Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Carnegie Hall, Théatre des Champs Elysées, and many other world first class venues. She is also the first Chinese folk musician to appear on Guardian's website. She creatively designed the knapsack-like Pipa which was granted a patent and was used to demonstrate Chinese traditional culture in the bid for the Olympic Games. Her album Listen to China is the first one of Chinese music in the history of the Universal Music.

Chen Huilong, director-general of China Anhui Traditional Orchestra, member of Chinese Musicians Association, standing board member of China Nationalities Orchestra Society's bamboo flute panel. With the guidance of his tutor Lu Chunling and other well-known Chinese flutist, Chen made further achievement. He is often credited with his comprehensive understanding of all styles and schools of bamboo flute practice, especially that of the southern school, of which he is regarded as a chief master. He has toured in more than 30 countries and regions, gaining great popularity with his excellent playing. He participated in the 7th Asia International Music Festival and won the highest reward as the first in the group of flute playing. Once there was a joke to show his perfect playing techniques: "Even if you give Chen a rolling pin, he might as well make music out of it."

ABOUT THE PRESENTER
Established in April 2004, China Arts and Entertainment Group (CAEG) is the first large publicly owned cultural enterprise approved by the State Council. It was restructured on the basis of China Performing Arts Agency and China International Exhibition Center.
CAEG consists of nineteen wholly owned enterprises including China Performing Arts Agency (CPAA) and China International Exhibition Center (CIEC), and other groups. As CAEG's core companies, both CPAA and CIEC have over a half-century's history and are the largest worldwide providers of Chinese performing arts and visual arts, as well as China's biggest presenters of international performances and arts exhibitions. Over the past decades, CPAA and CIEC have accumulated rich experience and earned good reputation in undertaking governmental cultural exchange projects and organizing commercial tours of performances and exhibitions both at home and abroad.
Since its founding, CAEG has arranged 400 overseas performances and exhibitions, and presented more than 15,000 performances in nearly 60 countries and regions with audiences of over 20 million.
For decades, CAEG serves as the main official channel for cultural exchanges with foreign countries. Carrying the mission of reviving Chinese Cultural Industry and reinforce the competitive strength of Chinese cultural productions in the international market, CAEG serves as the culturAl Cooperation complex that integrates the industry chain of investment, research and production, theatre management, marketing, and large-scale cultural events. With its innovation of system and mechanism, CAEG will play a more active role in promoting Chinese culture and arts to the world.

Image China
Image China is a cultural exchange brand presented by China Arts and Entertainment Group in 2009, aiming at introducing China's great traditional culture and outstanding contemporary art works to the world. This concert, following the "Qingdao Symphony Orchestra Concert," the "Concert of Outstanding Chinese Musicians and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra," and the dance drama "Forbidden Fruits under the Great Wall," is another Image-China performance in major American theaters, just as spectacular as former performances. Image China is a cultural exchange brand presented by China Arts and Entertainment Group (CAEG).