THE YELLOW RIVER CANTATA Comes to San Jose In August

To mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, the conclusion of the Sino-Japanese War, and the founding of the United Nations, Chinese-American organizations and Symphony San Jose will present a special live performance of The Yellow River Cantata on Saturday, August 16 at 7:30 p.m. at the San Jose Center for the Performing Arts.

Composed by Xian Xinghai in 1939, The Yellow River Cantata fuses Western classical music with traditional Chinese folk melodies and instruments, including the pipa and sanxian. The work sets to music Guang Weiran's poem “Yellow River,” offering a tribute to the strength of the Chinese people and the symbolic power of the Yellow River. The performance will be sung in Mandarin with English subtitles projected above the stage.

More than 70 musicians from Symphony San Jose and a chorus of 170 singers from across California will join forces for the concert. Participating choral groups include members of the U.S. Hunan Association Arts Center, Northern American Dongbei Association, American GuangZhou Alumni Association, Garden City Art Ensemble, A-Sharp Chorus, Dang Wei Guang Vocal Arts Center, Melody Chorus Society, Zhi Yin Vocal Music Center, Xing Gu Chorus, and HeBei Association.

Artistic Director Ling Li and conductor Jun Wang will lead the performance. Wang is a professor of conducting and a former resident conductor of the Central Philharmonic Orchestra of China. Featured soloists include lyric coloratura soprano Manhua Gao, baritone Weiguang Dang, pipa virtuoso Shenshen Zhang, and tenors Liqian Liu, Frank AuYeung, and GuangZhuang Cao.

The cantata consists of eight movements, including a depiction of the boatmen’s struggle against nature, a poetic ode to the Yellow River, a duet between refugees, and a militant finale that calls for resistance and freedom. The work is widely regarded as a cultural touchstone and an expression of national resilience.

This one-night-only performance runs from 7:30 to 9:00 p.m. with a 20-minute intermission.

The Yellow River Cantata