The Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO) will usher within the 12 months of the Snake on February 8, 2025 with a live performance that has emerged as one of many metropolis’s distinguished celebrations of Chinese language cultural heritage. 12 months of the Snake: A Lunar New 12 months Celebration might be hosted and narrated by comic Dashan (Mark Rowswell), and music that pulls from the classical traditions of each Western and Chinese language tradition.
One this system are iconic seasonal works like The Butterfly Lovers Violin Concerto and the Spring Pageant Overture as carried out by the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, led by conductor Naomi Woo.
A Showcase of Pan-Asian Artists
A sequence of Pan-Asian visitor artists will take the stage.
Classically educated composer Wu Fei is a grasp of the guzheng, a 21-string Chinese language zither, and a vocalist. The guzheng is a musical instrument with a 2,500 + 12 months previous historical past, and Fei makes use of the musical language of custom in modern works that defy categorization. Her compositions have gained awards and been carried out globally.
She is a local of Beijing, China, the place she studied on the China Conservatory of Music. She later got here to america to review at Mills School at Northeastern College, and is at present primarily based in Nashville, TN.
As a musician, she has taken the stage at venues that embody the Forbidden Metropolis, New York’s MoMA, Quai Branly Museum in Paris, the North Sea Jazz Pageant, and the Europalia Pageant, amongst others.
Violinist Stella Chen soar began her worldwide profession with a first-prize win on the 2019 Queen Elizabeth Worldwide Violin Competitors. Different accolades and recognition would observe, together with the 2020 Avery Fisher Profession Grant and 2020 Lincoln Middle Rising Artist Award. She was additionally named the Gramophone 2023 Younger Artist of the 12 months.
Stella has carried out with the New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, Israel Symphony, and Belgian Nationwide Orchestra, amongst different worldwide ensembles. She has taken the stage at Carnegie Corridor and the Lincoln Middle in New York Metropolis, together with the Vienna Musikverein and Berlin Philharmonie.
Chen can also be a devoted chamber musician who has appeared at festivals throughout Europe and the US. She performs on the 1720 Common Kyd Stradivarius, on beneficiant mortgage from Dr. Ryuji Ueno and Uncommon Violins In Consortium, Artists and Benefactors Collaborative and the 1708 Huggins Stradivarius courtesy of the Nippon Music Basis.
Yang Yang Dance Studio of Mississauga may even carry out.
“This celebratory event is all the time a spotlight of my 12 months, and I’m delighted to reunite with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra to ring within the 12 months of the Snake,” says Maestro Naomi Woo in an announcement.
“I like the best way this vacation brings folks collectively, so it’s becoming to be joined by my associates Stella Chen and Dashan, and to work with the long-lasting Wu Fei for the primary time. It’s all the time good luck to put on new garments for the brand new 12 months, so this live performance may even characteristic a brand-new orchestral piece: Ode to the Pink Cliffs, primarily based on a Tune Dynasty poem, with music by Shawn Moore and recitation by Dashan.”
Pre-Live performance Enjoyable
Earlier than the live performance, you should purchase a particular ticket that features the pre-concert cocktail reception and dinner on the Shangri-La Resort. You’ll be capable of take pleasure in a lion dance efficiency and guzheng efficiency by Wu Fei whilst you quaff, with host Dashan and conductor Naomi Woo in attendance.
After dinner, you’ll get a ceremonial escort from the Shangri-La down Simcoe Avenue to Roy Thomson Corridor, the place you’ll discover your seats in the most effective sections.
- Discover tickets and extra details about that possibility [HERE].
Together with your common ticket, the celebrations begin within the Roy Thomson Corridor foyer at 7:00 p.m. an hour earlier than the live performance begins. That features a lion dance efficiency, and an Asian-Canadian distributors market with a wide range of items.
- Discover extra particulars and tickets [HERE].
Are you trying to promote an occasion? Have a information tip? Must know the most effective occasions taking place this weekend? Ship us a observe.
#LUDWIGVAN
Get the day by day arts information straight to your inbox.
Join the Ludwig Van Toronto e-Blast! — native classical music and opera information straight to your inbox HERE.
Anya Wassenberg is a Toronto Metropolis Editor at Ludwig Van. She is an skilled freelance author, blogger and writing teacher.