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Dubbed "the erhu Paganini of the Far East", the globally renowned Chinese erhu player Xu Ke will perform two concerts in Hong Kong next month.
The first concert will be at 7.30pm, December 10 (Friday), at The Theatre, Sheung Wan Civic Centre. Xu will collaborate with pianist Satoshi Sando in playing "Hungarian Rhapsody No. 1", "Nocturne", "Birdsong on a Desolate Mountain", "Wind and Rhythm", "Music of the Lute and the Xiao", "Peace Drums" and "Scenes of Tianshan", among others.
Also featuring yangqin player Wang Wenli, the second concert will be at 2.30pm, December 11 (Saturday), at the Xiang Hai Xuan Multi-purpose hall, Nan Lian Garden. The programme includes: "A Song of Joy in a Water-logged Region", "Listening to the Pines", "The Ballade of Northern Henan", "A Reflection of the Moon on the Water", "The Sanmen Gorge Capriccio", "Enjoy the Countryside" and "A Henan Ditty".
Xu Ke graduated with honours from the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing in 1982. In the next year, he served as principal erhu player for the Chinese National Orchestra of China. Accompanied by the Chinese National Orchestra, he held his first solo huqin recital at the Beijing Concert Hall in 1987. In 2000, he performed with Yo-Yo Ma's Silk Road Ensemble at the Tanglewood Music Centre (US), and he was invited to give a solo erhu recital at New York's Carnegie Hall in 2003. In 2008 he embarked on a nationwide touring performance with the chamber orchestra of the Berliner Philharmoniker, and in 2009 toured with the Czech Philharmonic Octet in Japan.
Xu has also taught at many institutions. He was employed from 1991 to 1997 as a special researcher in the China Section of the Department of Social Sciences at Waseda University, Japan. Between 1999 and 2000 he served as a visiting professor at Louisiana State University in the United States, concurrently conducting research in jazz music. He was a visiting professor at the Central Conservatory of Music and at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music in 2004 and 2007.
"Erhu Recital by Xu Ke" is a programme of the Nan Lian Garden Chinese Music Series, and is presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department. Tickets priced at $150 and $200 (Sheung Wan Civic Centre) and $220 (Nan Lian Garden) are now available at URBTIX outlets, on the Internet and by credit card telephone booking. Senior citizens aged 60 or above, people with disabilities, full-time students and Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) recipients may receive a 50% discount (limited tickets for students and CSSA recipients on a first-come, first-served basis). A maximum discount of 20% is offered for the Nan Lian Garden Chinese Music series package and group bookings.
Other attractions in the Nan Lian Garden Chinese Music Series include "Huqin Recital by Wong On-yuen and Wong Sun-tat", "The Classic Charm of Kunqu", "Pipa Recital by Zhang Hongyan", "The Chinese Flute with Quaint Charm - Xiao Recital by Tam Po-shek" and "Zheng Recital by Wang Zhongshan".
Nan Lian Garden is situated at 60 Fung Tak Road, Diamond Hill, Kowloon, adjacent to the Chi Lin Nunnery. To make enquiries, please call 2329 8811.
For programme enquiries, call 2268 7321 or visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/cp . Ticketing enquiries can be made on 2734 9009 and credit card telephone bookings on 2111 5999. Tickets can also be booked online at www.urbtix.hk .
Ends/Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Issued at HKT 12:56
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