Tan Dun, the composer whose name has become a household word among Chinese communities around the world and a name highly regarded in international music circles, will be in Hong Kong for two concerts with the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra (HKCO). The concert series Tan Dun & HKCO will be held on January 9 and 10, 2004 at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall, with Tan himself conducting his own works.

Prominently featured in the programme will be his Oscar winning film score for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. While the film music has been arranged by Tan himself into a concerto for huqin and symphony orchestra, on this occasion, the HKCO will be giving a world premiere of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon for Chinese orchestra. The HKCO has invited Tan’s former classmate and good friend, also a famous Chinese composer in his own right, Chen Yuanlin, to arrange the philharmonic section of the film music into a concerto for Chinese orchestra, while the erhu solo and percussion parts will be retained in their original form. The erhu and zhonghu section will be performed by Ma Xianghua, the young huqin artist and teacher in the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing.

But obviously, there is more to Tan than Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Concerto for Improvisation will be another highlight in the concert. Befitting its improvisatory nature, the piece will be created impromptu by Tan Dun and the HKCO, when he arrives in Hong Kong. This interactive mode of ‘composing’ rather than traditional ‘rehearsing’ will be an exciting challenge for the HKCO members. Also performing in this concert will be the percussionist, David Cossin, who has been working closely with Tan on the international concert stage. Specially designed gestures and motifs are used to bring Chinese folk instrumentalists and western Jazz artists into a musical dialogue. The whole work will be performed through the improvisation of the performers, a process in which the audience will also take part under the baton of Tan the conductor.

Also on the concert programme are Three Fast Movements and Shadow of Sound. Three Fast Movements is made up of three excerpts from Tan’s allegro pieces of totally different character: the bowed string suite Shadow of Sky, and the plucked string suites Five Elements and The Northwest Suite. These three sections all differ from each other in terms of their musical characteristics, contrasts, and compositional techniques in the creation of sounds and melodies. The one element they have in common is that they are all festive and boisterous in mood. Shadow of Sound is a septet written for Japanese instruments. It will be played using Chinese musical instruments for the first time.

In addition to the concert series, there will also be a workshop host by David Cossin, held on January 7, 2004, at 7:30 pm, at the HKCO Rehearsal Hall, 7/F, Sheung Wan Municipal Building. You can see him in action as he wields his drumsticks and creates the most exciting sounds on the spot. He will also talk about his collaborations with Tan Dun, Yo-Yo Ma etc.. The session will be conducted in English with Cantonese interpretation. If you are interested, call 3185 1670 to reserve a seat. The fee will be $70 per head, and $55 for Friends of HKCO.

Tickets for Tan Dun & HKCO are available at all URBTIX Outlets at $180, 150, 120 and 100. Half-price tickets are offered for senior citizens, people with disabilities and full-time students. Friends of HKCO and HKCC can enjoy a 25% and a 10% ticket discount respectively. Enquiries: 3185 1600; Booking Hotline: 2734 9009. Internet Booking: www.urbtix.gov.hk. HKCO website: www.hkco.org

Artists Biography

Tan Dun　Composer/ Guest Conductor

• Tan is the winner of the prestigious Grawemeyer Award for the composition of the opera Marco Polo and the 2003 Composer of the Year by Musical America.
• Tan’s compositions include the Orchestral Theatre series, a four-hour orchestral exploration of multi-cultural and multi-media; Water Passion After St Matthew for the Internationale Bachakadamie in Stuttgart, commemorating the 250th anniversary of Bach’s death; the Concerto for Water Percussion and Orchestra for the New York Philharmonic with Kurt Masur; both Oscar & Grammy-winning film score for Ang Lee’s film, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon; the opera Tea, commissioned by Japan Suntory Hall and directed by Pierre Audi, in a co-production with the Netherlands Opera, and The Map: Concerto for Cello, Video & Orchestra composed for the Boston Symphony Orchestra and cellist Yo-Yo Ma.

Ma Xianghua　Erhu/ Zhonghu

• Was born in Jinan, Shandong Province, China. Currently a teacher in the Central Conservatory of Music, Beijing. In 1998 she was a postgraduate student and received her training under Professor Liu Changfu, a famous virtuoso in erhu. Besides majoring in the erhu, she also received training in the banhu and gaohu.
• Ma has given more than a dozen solo recitals in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan and North America since 1997, and has several solo album releases to her credit. She has performed with the Orchestras and Chinese Orchestras of Asia, Australia and the UK.

David Cossin　Percussion

• Studied classical percussion at the Manhattan School of Music, David Cossin currently specializes in new and experimental music, and has performed and recorded with cellist Yo-Yo Ma, composer Tan Dun.
• Cossin has participated in music festivals worldwide; and has appeared as soloist with many orchestras. Active in musical theater, Cossin performed in productions of The Lion King and Tan Dun’s opera Peony Pavilion. He played the solo percussion part for the film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

For more details

Tel：3185-1001 (Ms Annisa Tong)
Website：www.hkco.org
Email：inquiries@hkco.org