The National Chamber Choir of Ireland (NCC) announced in its press release on May 19 its participation in the Festival of Irish Arts and Culture in China 2004. On May 25, the Choir will perform in Shanghai, at the He Luting Concert Hall, and on May 26, in Beijing, in the National Library Concert Hall.

The Irish Art Festival, the first of its kind in China, kicked off on May 9, as an important part of this year's Meet in Beijing International Arts Festival. A stellar cast has been assembled to showcase the cultural treasures of Ireland. The Irish Festival will continue into June and it will be followed by a reciprocal Chinese Cultural Festival in Ireland this summer.

The program of NCC will include the premiere of a work by Jia Daqun, commissioned by the Festival for the NCC together with a string orchestra from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music and traditional musicians from Ireland and China.

In a further display of its versatility and dynamism, the NCC will include in its program other modern a cappella pieces by Eben, Penderecki and S illeabhin.

Jia Daqun's composition, Fusion III for the Spirit of China and Ireland Concert, will enable the Choir to contribute to further uniting musical hemispheres. Celso Antunes, the National Chamber Choir's Artistic Director, will conduct the combined forces of the NCC and Shanghai Conservatory of Music's string orchestra, led by Irish violinist, Fionnuala Hunt. This new piece, specifically created for Irish and Chinese musicians, will also feature six traditional instrumentalists, three from Ireland and three from China: this unusual and highly exciting combination is aimed at blending the rich musical dialects from the two countries.

This exciting cultural exchange will provide a platform to establish relationships for future artistic collaborations between the National Chamber Choir and counterparts in China, said the NCC's press release. Such partnerships will ensure the longevity of musical dialogues beyond the closing of the Festival.

Jia Daqun began composing when his vision became impaired and he decided to leave his career in the visual arts. As a professor at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music and a respected composer, he has imported the principles of form, line and color from Chinese calligraphy and painting into his compositions and teachings. His works have been performed by international ensembles and orchestras, and have received noted prizes at national composition competitions in China.

Celso Antunes, the Cologne-based conductor, is the National Chamber Choir's Artistic Director and Chief Conductor since 2002. Antunes is widely known for his interpretations of a broad musical repertoire, stretching from the choral music of Monteverdi to the music of the present day. After his successful debut conducting Britten's Turn of the Screw with Opera Theatre Company, Mr Antunes' future engagements will include a new version of Beethoven's Fidelio as well as his debut with the BBC Singers in London.

Performance Details:

Dates: May 25, 19:15

Venue: He Luting Concert Hall, Shanghai

Ticket Price: 200 yuan, 150 yuan, 100 yuan, 50 yuan

Booking: 021-64311792
 

Date: May 26, 19:30

National Library Concert Hall, Beijing

Ticket Price: 380 yuan, 280 yuan,180 yuan, 80 yuan, 50 yuan

Booking: 010-64068888

(China.org.cn May 21, 2004)