Li-Xincao Photo by Columbia Artists Management
MANASSAS, Va., Jan. 8, 2013 – One of the most outstanding professional orchestras in China, this revered ensemble is renowned for its splendid artistry, tremendous dedication and consummate professionalism. China National Symphony Orchestra takes the Merchant Hall stage at the Hylton Performing Arts Center in Manassas on Saturday, Feb. 9, 2013 at 8 p.m., performing under the baton of conductor Li Xincao. A pre-performance discussion, free to ticket holders, begins 45 minutes prior to the performance in the Hylton Center’s Buchanan Partners Art Gallery. Prince William Hospital is the 2012-2013 Hylton Presents Season Sponsor. This performance is generously sponsored by Evelyn and Tom Kiley.
In this exciting performance, the orchestra performs the opening movement from Chinese composer and China National Symphony Orchestra Director Guan Xia’s “Requiem for the Earth,” written in remembrance of the 2008 Sichuan earthquake. The program also features Beethoven’s joyful Symphony No. 7. Piano prodigy Peng-Peng Gong joins the orchestra for Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1. San Diego Arts proclaimed Gong to be “the real thing – an artist of both physical skill and intellectual insight.”
Founded in 1956, the China National Symphony Orchestra has spent the last half century introducing audiences throughout its homeland to an immense and diverse repertoire of classical, romantic, modern and contemporary orchestral works by both Western and Asian composers, and has presented many first performances and world premieres in China. The orchestra’s concerts are frequently broadcast on radio and television throughout China and across the globe, and many recordings have been made of its live performances. The orchestra has collaborated with numerous classical music luminaries, including conductors Seiji Ozawa, Leonard Slatkin, Kurt Masur and Charles Dutoit; and instrumentalists Isaac Stern, Anne-Sophie Mutter, Yo-Yo Ma and Lang Lang. The orchestra has brought its performances to North America, Europe, Asia and Australia, earning the praise of audiences and critics alike. The London Times called the China National Symphony Orchestra “a mature group with a vital sound,” while The Washington Post called it “a solid, energetic and meticulously drilled ensemble.”
Born in Nanjing, China, 20-year-old Peng-Peng Gong was accepted into The Juilliard School’s pre-college division and is currently enrolled as an undergraduate at Juilliard, where he studies under pianist Yoheved Kaplinsky, composer Samuel Adler and conductor Adam Glaser. He has had the opportunity to perform Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 with John Williams at the podium at Juilliard’s Centennial Gala in 2006. Gong has appeared as a guest soloist with the American Symphony Orchestra League in Nashville, under the baton of friend and mentor Leonard Slatkin, and has been invited to perform engagements throughout North America, South America, Europe and Asia. The Baltimore Sun has praised him for his “confidence of a weathered veteran” and “a welcome unbridled quality to his playing.”
As the principal resident conductor of the China National Symphony Orchestra, Li Xincao has led the ensemble in performances at prestigious venues across the globe, including Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Lincoln Center, Sydney Opera House and Tokyo Suntory Hall. He holds degrees from the Central Conservatory of Music of China and Musikuniversität Wien in Vienna, Austria. In addition to his role with the China National Symphony Orchestra, Xincao is the principal conductor of the Busan Philharmonic Orchestra.
PLEASE NOTE: China National Symphony Orchestra also performs at George Mason University’s Center for the Arts in Fairfax on Saturday, Feb. 2, 2013 at 8 p.m. Under the baton of Li Xincao, the orchestra will perform Guan Xia’s “Requiem for the Earth,” Mvt. I and Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 2. Violin soloist Yang Xu will join the orchestra for Sibelius’ Violin Concerto in D minor, Op. 47.
Program subject to change.
This performance is generously sponsored by Evelyn and Tom Kiley
The Hylton Performing Arts Center is pleased to recognize Prince William Hospital as the 2012-2013 Hylton Presents Season Sponsor
Tickets for CHINA NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA are $44, $52 and $60. Visit the box office (open Tuesday-Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.) or charge by phone at 888-945-2468 or visit HyltonCenter.org. The Hylton Performing Arts Center is located on George Mason University’s Prince William Campus at 10960 George Mason Circle, Manassas, Va., 20110. FREE parking is available in the lot next to the Hylton Center. For more information, please visit HyltonCenter.org. Like us on Facebook at Facebook.com/HyltonCenter and follow us on Twitter at @Hylton_PAC.
About the Hylton Performing Arts Center
Dedicated to bringing a world-class performing arts venue to the Prince William region, the Hylton Performing Arts Center was born out of a partnership among Prince William County, George Mason University, the City of Manassas, the Commonwealth of Virginia and individuals and businesses in the private sector. Soaring more than nine stories and boasting a stunning mix of copper, glass and masonry, the 85,000-square foot center is home to two unparalleled performance venues for local arts groups and performers from around the world, as well as university-related activities. Modeled after the intimate European opera houses of the 19th century, Merchant Hall is a 1,123-seat multipurpose proscenium theater, which is encircled by 27 private boxes that rise three levels. The Gregory Family Theater is a flexible, 4,400-square foot space that can be configured for many different types of performances and events. In addition, the Didlake Grand Foyer, with its sweeping staircase, provides an ideal setting for community, corporate and social events. The Hylton Performing Arts Center, the only building of its kind in the area, is sure to quickly become the cultural hub of Prince William County and the surrounding communities and is a shining example of collaboration and commitment to the arts.
About George Mason University
George Mason University is an innovative, entrepreneurial institution with global distinction in a range of academic fields. Located in Northern Virginia near Washington, D.C., Mason provides students access to diverse cultural experiences and the most sought-after internships and employers in the country. Mason offers strong undergraduate and graduate degree programs in engineering and information technology, organizational psychology, health care and visual and performing arts. With Mason professors conducting groundbreaking research in areas such as climate change, public policy and the biosciences, George Mason University is a leading example of the modern, public university. George Mason University – Where Innovation Is Tradition
