Musical love affair

Manhattan Symphonie will be back in Beijing this April. Its founder tells Chen Nan it's his dream to help talented Chinese young musicians perform with his orchestra for a wider audience.

The New York-based Manhattan Symphonie will perform in Beijing from April 7 to 10 at Poly Theater. Musicians will bring classical music works from John Strauss, Tchaikovsky, Mozart and soundtracks from Hollywood movies, including Titanic. To connect with Chinese audience, the orchestra will also perform three Chinese works - Spring Festival Overture, Dance Music of Yao Ethnic Group and I Love You, China.

Manhattan Symphonie made their debut performances in China four years ago to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the establishment of Sino-American diplomatic relations.

As the founder and conductor of the orchestra, Gregory Singer recalls: "It was not merely a friendship between the two countries but also a love affair."

"This will be our fourth time coming to China and we have an emotional bond with the country," says Singer, who has written a piece titled A Waltz to China, which is specially dedicated to the country and will also be performed at the concerts. "I have a strong connection with China, especially the profound culture and history. We are happy to return."

The concerts will also include the performance of 20 Chinese children, selected from more than 20 schools and music training organizations in Beijing after a three-week audition. The children, aged from 6 to 16 years old, will give both solo and concerto performances.

One of the young performer, Ni Yuanchen, participated in the first round of the audition held at Ditan Primary School in Beijing on March 16. He started playing the cello since 4 and has just passed the sixth-grade test held by the Central Conservatory of Music.

"I don't plan to become a professional musician but I will make music my lifelong passion," says 9-year-old Ni.

Duan Zhengkai, 6, also impressed the judges with his violin performance. "He has only started learning violin three years ago but his skill is really beyond expectation ... not only in terms of his note accuracy but also his personal interpretation," says Zhao Xuyang, one of the judges from the Central Conservatory of Music.

Conductor Chen Hongjing, who is the director of Oriental Symphony Orchestra of China Oriental Performing Arts Group, says many young Chinese students have good instrument playing techniques thanks to their hard work but lack in a deeper understanding of the works.

"Collaborating with international musicians will further help them connect with classical music," says Chen.

"When I was young I wanted to play the violin but I didn't want to practice. My parents made me practice. But, you can't force a person to play beautifully when they grow up. It must come from the heart, not simply imitation," says orchestra founder Singer, who studied violin since childhood and graduated from Juilliard School of Music.

According to Yan Jun, the project director, though the collaboration is challenging, Singer, who initiated the idea of having Chinese students join in the performances, is very pleased to introduce young musicians to a wider audience. He says nearly 1,000 students participated in the audition.

Driven by the influence of his father Jacques Singer, a famous conductor with the Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra, Gregory Singer founded the orchestra in 2005, which consists of young artists from cities like Boston, New York, New Jersey, and Philadelphia, all selected by Gregory Singer.

The orchestra has grown with better full-time members and concerts in America's biggest and most prestigious concert halls, including many concerts in the Stern Auditorium in Carnegie Hall and radio broadcasts.

In August 2013, he also brought a group of students from the Central Conservatory of Music to perform with Manhattan Symphonie at Dawn and Dusk music festival in New York, presenting great chamber music works from Beethoven, Chopin and Mozart.

"I am always eager and happy to have Chinese musicians from America and China join the orchestra and play solo with my orchestra. We have had violinists, cellists, pianists and singers from China perform with us already many times," Singer says.

"There are many famous Chinese classical music performers all over the world," he says. "It is always my dream to help talented young musicians perform onstage and let more people share their music."

Contact the writer at chennan@chinadaily.com.cn.