2025 Grand Chinese New Year Concert — Conducted by Li Xincao
Ring in the Year of the Snake with the China Conservatory Orchestra at the Wiener Konzerthaus
Cast
Ma Ke — Erhu
Yang Tingting — Pipa
Zhang Qianyuan — Suona
Wang Zhongshan — Guzheng
China Conservatory Orchestra
Li Xincao — Conductor
Program notes
The snake is a symbol of wisdom, mystery, and spirituality, and 2025 — the Year of the Snake — is a time for new beginnings and optimism for the future. As the new moon marks the beginning of the transition from winter to spring, we're delighted to once again bring you the Grand Chinese New Year Concert led by esteemed conductor Li Xincao! For its penultimate stop on a six-city European tour, the China Conservatory of Music Traditional Orchestra performs its enchanting New Year program at the Konzerthaus in Vienna, mixing traditional folk music with contemporary creations by the likes of Academy Award-winning composer Tan Dun. Xincao and the orchestra are joined by accomplished soloists on traditional Chinese instruments: Ma Ke on the erhu (a two-stringed fiddle), Yang Tingting on the pipa (a sort of Chinese lute), Zhang Qianyuan on the double-reeded suona, and Wang Zhongshan on the Chinese zither, the guzheng.