Cross-Straits concerts to honor Sun Yat-sen

Concerts will be held in five cities on both sides of the Taiwan Straits to mark the 150th birth anniversary of Sun Yat-sen, from Nov 8 to 26. The performances will be in Beijing, Nanjing, Taipei, Zhongshan and Guangzhou.

Sun played a decisive role in the 1911 revolution that overthrew the imperial Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and laid the foundation for the establishment of a new political system.

Organized by Chinese Musicians' Association, China Federation of Literary and Art Circles, Musicians' Association of Jiangsu Province and Federation of Literary and Art Circles of Jiangsu Province, the concerts will be performed by China Broadcasting Chinese Orchestra; Chinese Orchestra of Jiangsu Performing Arts Group; National Chinese Orchestra, Taiwan; and Taipei Zan Ying National Chinese Orchestra.

Composer Ye Xiaogang, the president of Chinese Musicians' Association, who also teaches at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, was commissioned to write a new piece, called Toward the Brightness. Borrowed from the name of the classic erhu (two-stringed bowed instrument) piece, written and performed by Liu Tianhua (1895–1932), the piece will feature Chinese erhu player Song Fei.

Composer Guan Naizhong will premiere his Prelude to 1911, which is based on Guan’s early work, 100th Anniversary of 1911 Revolution.