Chime of Bell: NCPA New Year's Concert

Venue: National Centre for the Performing Arts - Concert Hall

Dates: Dec. 31, 2013

Duration: approximate 120 mins (intermission included)

Price: VIP/880/760/650/500/350/200 RMB

Conductor

Zhang Yi

Deputy Director, Music Director and Chief Conductor of the National Ballet of China.

Learning to play the violin at the age of five, Zhang Yi entered the elementary school affiliated to Central Conservatory of Music in 1983, and was later recommended to study conducting at the university in 1990. His studies were under the guidance of Professor Xu Xin and Professor Ji Ruikai. From 2000 to 2003 he studied in the graduate course for conducting with Prof. Max Prommer, the renowned German conductor in the Saarbrucken Musikhochschule.

As an influential young conductor in present China, Zhan Yi has conducted hundreds of concerts, opera, ballet works and recoded CDs. Since 1994, he has been invited to be guest conductor with China National Symphony Orchestra, China Philharmonic Orchestra, Macau Symphony Orchestra, Malaysia Philharmonic Orchestra, Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra, China Traditional Instrument Orchestra, National Ballet of China, China National Opera House, Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra, Hong Kong Symphonitta Orchestra, Saarbrucken Radio Symphony Orchestra, Cuba Symphony Orchestra, Kungliga Operan, Orchestra Colonne of Paris, etc.

Zhang Yi has performed in Europe, America, Australia and Asian countries. He has also collaborated with numerous artists including Emmanuel Pahud, Wenael Fuchs, Renaud Capucon, Myung Wha Chung, Lang Lang, Chen Sa and Ning Feng etc. During his tour in Malaysia Zhang Yi received great acclaim in local news media with personal recognition from King and Queen of Malaysia.

In May 2001, Zhang Yi conducted the world premiere of the ballet Raise the Red Lantern in Beijing which was composed by Chen Qigang and directed by Zhang Yimou.

In January 2002, he conducted for the recording of Ye Xiaogang's symphony works New Music from China with Saarbrucken Radio Symphony Orchestra, which was published by Wergo (Germany).

In April 2004, he led the National Symphony Orchestra to participate in the Spring International Arts Festival in Pyongyang, North Korea.

In September 2005, he led the Lanzhou Opera House Symphony Orchestra to present a concert in Sydney Opera House, Australia.

In May 2006, he collaborated with Cuba Symphony Orchestra to present a concert as the opening of Cuba Arts Festival.

In 2007 and 2008, he led the Lanzhou Opera House Symphony Orchestra to The Golden Hall of Vienna and Palais des Congrès de Paris to present concerts and the opera A Big Dream of Dunhuang.

In July 2007, he participated in the performance of celebrating the 10th anniversary of Hong Kong coming back to China.

In June, 2008, he conducted the tour performance of Royal Swedish Ballet in China.

In 2008, he conducted for the recording of most musical pieces for the opening ceremony of 2008 Olympic Games, including the song You and Me.

In July 2008, touring with the National Ballet of China he performed at Royal Opera House, Covent Garden in London.

In January 2009, as the conductor of the company he collaborated with Orchestra Colonne for the company's performance at Opera National de Paris.

In February 2010, he collaborated with Kungliga Operan in Stockholm.

In April 2012, he successfully conducted the premiere of Mass in C Minor by Mozart with Macau Symphony Orchestra in Our Lady of the Rosary Church, Macao.

As a conductor, Zhang Yi has been fond of modern music and conducted many premieres of works by modern composers. In May 2012, he was given the award of Outstanding Contribution at the Beijing Modern Music Festival for his numerous performances of Chinese and western modern music pieces.

Presenter

National Ballet of China Symphony Orchestra

The National Ballet of China Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1959 under the National Ballet of China, is the only professional ballet orchestra in China. Zhang Yi is the music director and chief conductor and Liu Ju is the resident conductor. Orchestra members are mainly graduated from renowned conservatories of music in Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin and other places at the average age of 35 years. They have been subject to rigorous professional training with excellent music quality. It is a national symphony orchestra with most vitality and development potential in the Chinese music industry.

Jean Perrison(from France), the internationally renowned conductor has visited the orchestra and offered guidance during his stay in China; the chief conductor of Peru's National Symphony Orchestra Ashley Lawrence, chief conductor of Royal Danish Ballet and American Peter Larsen and the American Music Education Delegation soloist(singer) held concert with the orchestra separately. In addition, well-known Chinese conductors like Li Guoquan, Bian Zushan, Hu Bingxu, Chen Zuohuang, Tan Lihua, Hu Yongyan, Li Xincao are extensively acclaimed by music community at home and abroad for their ballet and symphonic music concerts.

In recent years, the orchestra is regularly invited to audio and video recording by Central station, China Central Television, China's record companies, publishers and film studios. In addition to tour performance across China including Hong Kong and Macao, it also went overseas to spread Chinese culture. It is popular at home and abroad. The orchestra has performed not only Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, Nutcracker, Raise the Red Lantern, Pirates, Don Quixote, Coppelia, Leiquan, Ji Purcell, and other fine ballet repertoire, but also has classical and romantic tracks authored by Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Berlioz, Tchaikovsky, Wagner, Sibelius and other artists as well as numerous works created by Chinese and foreign contemporary composers. The orchestra also recorded a number of high-quality records.