The collision of Chinese and Western cultures, the close contact of music and the performance of "Chinese Love"

The collision of Chinese and Western cultures, the close contact of music and the performance of "Chinese Love" Pipa player Liu Fang and cellist Yehuda Hanani teamed up to "East...

Pipa player Liu Fang and cellist Yehuda Hanani joined forces to perform "East Meets West" Chinese classical music, and premiered Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Zhou Long's duet "Green" for pipa and cello. At the same time, the star musicians of "Close Contact with Music" also performed several classic works created by music masters Ravel, Kreisler and Aholon who were influenced by Eastern culture.

Concert time: December 12 (Wednesday), 7:30 pm Venue: SCOTTSDALE CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

[Scottsdale, Arizona] This is a concert with the theme of Chinese music, titled "TRADE WINDS: FROM CHINA WITH LOVE", Performer Liu Fang, who is hailed as the "Queen of Pipa" by the media, and star musicians of CLOSE ENCOUNTERS WITH MUSIC will perform traditional Chinese classical music as well as classical chamber music influenced by Chinese music by Western music masters Ravel, Kreisler and Aholon. Particularly eye-catching is the duet between Liu Fang and artistic director and cellist master Yehuda Hanani, which premieres the work "Green" by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Zhou Long and the work of Kuwaiti United Nations Honorary Composer Ahmad Hamdam.

Today, when multiculturalism and its fusion are generally concerned and loved, the musical dialogue between the East and the West, from Debussy, Ravel to the American avant-garde, has become a trend. The "Chinese Love" section of "Close Contact with Music" includes Bulgarian pianist Emma Tahmizian playing Leo Ornstein's masterpiece "A la Chinoise" (A la Chinoise), artistic director and cellist Yehuda Hanani, Tahmizian and Israeli violinist Hagai Shaham playing Maurice Ravel's chamber music trio. Shaham also performed Fritz Kreisler's Yao Patriarch's Drum and another ancient tradition - Joseph Achron's work with beautiful Hebrew music as the main melody.

Maurice Ravel first challenged the German tradition that dominated Western classical music and opened up his own exotic atmosphere. His groundbreaking piano trio creates entirely new soundscapes, fusing modern rhythms with the foundations of ancient Mediterranean and Basque dances, just like a Picasso painting, filled with enthusiasm and a spirit of selflessness that is both modern and a return to the original.

"Green", premiered by Liu Fang and Israeli cellist Yehuda Hanani, is a masterpiece by Pulitzer Prize winner Zhou Long. The original version was composed for Chinese bamboo flute and pipa in 1983, and was adapted by the composer himself into a pipa and cello duo in 2011. Composer Zhou Long elaborated on the intention of composing the music: blue sky and yellow land breed green plants. Green symbolizes the spirit of life. Music is like an exquisite stimulus that evokes communication between humans and nature across distant time and space.

Kuwaiti United Nations Honorary Composer Ahmad Khadam heard Liu Fang's performance for the first time in 2005 at a concert commemorating the 60th anniversary of the founding of UNESCO. He was deeply moved and wrote this beautiful pipa and cello duet.

> Pipa has existed in China for more than 2,000 years. Liu Fang often compares Chinese classical music with Chinese poetry, lyrical drama, and calligraphy. "In traditional Chinese calligraphy, it has always been regarded as the highest art form. In fact, great calligraphy has given me great inspiration. Its power of movement, point structure, strength and overall harmonious beauty are the same as traditional classical music."

This is a rare music event performed by outstanding performers from Eastern and Western civilizations. In order to provide the audience with the opportunity to meet and communicate with the artists, the Scottsdale Arts Center, the organizer of the concert, held a cocktail reception to entertain the guests after the concert.

Scottsdale Center for the Arts, Wednesday, December 12 at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $19/$29/$39. Box Office: 480-994-ARTS (2787), or order online: www.scottsdaleperformingarts.org. The concert hall is located at the Virginia G. Piper Theater at the Scottsdale Center for the Arts, 7380 East Second Street at the corner of Drinkwater Boulevard.

Musician Profile "Music Close Contact" artistic director and cello master Yehuda Hanani is a world-famous cellist. His charismatic playing and profound interpretation have earned him rave reviews within the Maison. He has collaborated with well-known orchestras such as the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, Berlin Radio Orchestra, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Welsh Symphony Orchestra, Taipei and Seoul symphonies, etc. He has participated in many major music festivals and performed with outstanding musicians from all over the world. His first recording of the Cello Sonata was nominated for a Record Award. His other discs have won widespread acclaim. Hanani continues to expand her cello repertoire and collaborates with many diverse performing artists, including actors Richard Chamberlain, Jane Alexander and Sigourney Weaver. He founded the widely acclaimed chamber music series "Musical Close Encounters," which has seen audiences from Miami to Kansas City, Omaha, Calgary, Scottsdale, the Berkshires, and at the Frick Art Collection in New York City. (For detailed information, please see the artist's website http://www.cewm.org/bio_hanani.html)

Liu Fang is a performer who is good at both pipa and guzheng. Her outstanding performance is vivid and touching, and her musical expression and exquisite technique are even more breathtaking. In particular, she seems to have reached a perfect harmony with the pipa, and she is one of the best performers in the international music scene today. Liu Fang's talents span borders, languages ​​and cultures, and in addition to frequently performing solo recitals of traditional Chinese classical music and modern music, Liu Fang has collaborated with symphony orchestras, string quartets and a variety of different sub-band combinations as well as world-class musicians. Has published 5 solo albums and 9 collaborative albums. Her most recent recording of "Voice of Silk" won the prestigious Académie Française Charles Crouse Award (the French equivalent of the Grammy). Liu Fang is known in the news media as the "Queen of Pipa" (lactualite), "the intermediary connecting gods and men" (France World Magazine), "the greatest ambassador's wife of pipa art" (LA PRESSE), etc. For detailed information, please see the artist’s website (http://www.liufangmusic.net/). Interview with Liu Fang: http://www.cewm.org/pipa_soloist.pdf

Hagai Shaham is internationally recognized as one of the most outstanding young violinists in Israel, known for his superb skills and strong musical personality. In September 1990 Shaham and his duo partner, Yanon Erez, won first prize in the violin and piano duo category at the ARD International Music Competition in Munich. As a soloist, Shaham has performed with many of the world's major orchestras, including the British Chamber Orchestra, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, the Taipei, Singapore and Shanghai Symphony Orchestras, and the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Spin Mehta. In 1985, he was invited to perform Brahms' Double Concerto with Isaac Stern and Pinchas Zukerman at Carnegie Hall. In 2006, he performed this work again in collaboration with cellist Mischa Mesky at the 70th anniversary celebrations of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra.

Emma Tamizan, who was born in Bulgaria, made her debut on stage with a band at the age of thirteen. At the age of 19, she won the first prize in the Robert Schumann International Competition in Germany and won the premiere at the Gorky Theater in Berlin, starting her career as an international professional musician. Tamizan has footprints throughout Europe and North America. She has collaborated with many outstanding musicians from all over the world. Her playing has been hailed by critics as "stunning" (The Times) and "electrifying" (The New York Times). Tamizan has also performed with all major orchestras in Eastern Europe, such as the Moscow and St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra, the Prague Chamber Orchestra, the Brooklyn Philharmonic, and the East Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, among others. A graduate of the Bulgarian National Conservatory, she holds a Master of Music degree from the Juilliard School. She is a laureate of the Tchaikovsky, Leeds, Van Cliburn, Montreal, Bach and Smetana competitions, and a Pro Musicis Award winner.