Friday, February 15, 2019 - 8:00 pm - Mechanics Hall
PROGRAM
Rossini Overture to Il Barbiere di Siviglia
Sibleius Violin Concerto in D minor, Op. 47
Dvorak Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Op. 95 "New World"
ABOUT THE CONDUCTOR AND SOLOIST
Zhang Guoyongbegan his study in conducting at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music under the direction of the famous conductor, Prof. Huang Xiaotong. After graduation in 1983, he remained as a teacher there until 1993, when he was sponsored by the Chinese government a four years’ study at the Moscow State Conservatory named after Tchaikovsky, where he studied under the world famous conductor G. Rozhdestvensky. Zhang Guoyong is now the Professor and the Dean of Conducting Department of Shanghai Conservatory of Music, Principle Conductor of Shanghai Opera Symphony Orchestra, Vice Chairman of China Musicians Association. He has cooperated with many well-known orchestras including Russian State Orchestra, Russian Philharmonic, Ukrainian State Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo Philharmonic, Hong Kong Philharmonic, Macau Symphonic Orchestra, Kuopio Symphony Orchestra (Finland), Cannes Symphony Orchestra, Theatre Colon, etc. He is expert in Russian works, especially Shostakovich’s symphonies. Apart from the symphony orchestras , he also worked with opera houses both at home and abroad in numerous operas, such as Turandot, Rigoletto, Don Pasquale, Cavalleria Rusticana, Pagliacci, Madama Butterfly, Il Trittico La Boheme; La Traviata, Carmen, Otello, Pearl Fisher, the Nose, ballets like Swan Lake, Giselle, Don Quixote. Nutcrackers, symphonic choruses like Beethoven’s Symphony No.9, Mozart’s Requiem, Song of the Forest, Stabat Mater, Carmina Burana and so on. In 2006, he was invited to be the jury of the 8th Cadaques International Conducting Competition in Spain.
Chen Yangyuetong, violinist, born in Nantong, Jiangsu Province in 1983. He started learning to play the violin at 4 years old in Children's Palace of Nantong, and began to study with Zhang Jingping, Professor of Nanjing University of the Arts, at 9 years old. He won the first prize in Youth Violin Competition of Jiangsu Province when he was 10.
From 1994, Chen studied with Zhang Shixiang for years, who is a well-known violinist of China and is also a professor of Shanghai Conservatory of Music. In 1996, Chen was admitted to both Music Middle School Affiliated to the Shanghai Conservatory of Music and Music Middle School Affiliated to the Central Conservatory of Music with honours. He chose to stay in Shanghai, and learnt from Professor Zhao Danqing and Professor Zhou Binyou of Shanghai Conservatory of Music. During winter and summer vacations, Chen went to Beijing to achieve enlightenments from Professor Lin Yaoji of Central Conservatory of Music, Who is a famous violin educator of China.
From 1994, Chen studied with Zhang Shixiang for years, who is a well-known violinist of China and is also a professor of Shanghai Conservatory of Music. In 1996, Chen was admitted to both Music Middle School Affiliated to the Shanghai Conservatory of Music and Music Middle School Affiliated to the Central Conservatory of Music with honours. He chose to stay in Shanghai, and learnt from Professor Zhao Danqing and Professor Zhou Binyou of Shanghai Conservatory of Music. During winter and summer vacations, Chen went to Beijing to achieve enlightenments from Professor Lin Yaoji of Central Conservatory of Music, Who is a famous violin educator of China.
In 2002, at Chen's 19, he went to Sydney to continue studying with Professor Zhang Shixiang. He received an award the next year in Hobart Violin Competition. During his time in Australia, Chen worked for Sydney Symphony Orchestra for 2 years as a part-time performer. After that, in 2005, he went to USA for further training on invitation by the violinist Charles Avsharian. Chen learnt from him and the master violinist Ruggiero Ricci. During his stay in America, Chen attended 3 Schools one by another. They are the Meadowmount School of Music, founded by Ivan Galamian, Northwestern University Bienen School of Music in Chicago, and University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance. During 2006-2007, he was the assistant concertmaster of Northwestern University Orchestra in Chicago.
Chen made the acquaintance of 'Meadowmount Trio' by chance, the well-known string quartet in USA. They participated many rehearsals together, from which Chen had learnt plenty of chamber music works and had gathered much experience in playing chamber music. Cellist Hans Jorgen Jensen, pianist Eric Larsen and violist Patricia McCartney had enlightened Chen a lot.
Chen had cooperated with many orchestras as an outstanding young violinist, like Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Sydney Youth Orchestra and Northwestern University Orchestra, and also had many solo performances. In 2007, Chen came back to China, joint Shanghai Opera Symphony Orchestra as an introduced talent of Shanghai and acted as the concertmaster from that time to this day.
During these years, Chen had cooperated with plenty of famous orchestras in China, like Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra, Qingdao Symphony Orchestra, Guangxi Province Symphony Orchestra, Zhejiang Province Symphony Orchestra, Gansu Province Symphony Orchestra and Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, having performed many concertos like Brahms, Sibelius and Tchekovsky.
Chen had visited many countries like USA, Australia, Canada, Italy, Finland, Sweden, Spain, France, Japan and North Korea. In 2010, Chen and Ms. Midori, the international well-known violinist, were interviewed together while recording a program. In 2011, entrusted by Professor Zhang Shixiang, Chen became the general agent of Shanghai area of Zhang Shixiang Multimedia Violin School. In 2012, Chen performed 'Charles Camille Saint-Saens Concerto in B Minor' with Qingdao Symphony Orchestra successfully, conducted by the famous conductor Lior Shambadal. In 2015, Chen was invited to take the guest concertmaster of Gansu Province Symphony Orchestra as a part-time job.
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