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E-mail China Daily, August 1, 2024
On Andrassy Avenue in the heart of the Hungarian capital Budapest stands a magnificent building: the Hungarian State Opera House. It is one of the country's most important musical institutions, enchanting audiences since its completion in 1884. Its grandeur and acoustics make it one of the finest opera houses in the world.
The Hungarian State Opera House has been the location of many memorable moments. For example in 1888, its then 28-year-old music director, composer Gustav Mahler, conducted the world premiere of his Symphony No 1, signaling the arrival of a new era of music.
On July 23, the Guangzhou Symphony Youth Orchestra, headquartered in Guangdong province, performed both Chinese and Western classical pieces there to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Hungary, using music to narrate a cultural story of harmony and shared destiny.
After concluding the concert, the youth orchestra also made their debut at the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing on Friday performing the same pieces.
"The music we performed during the concerts was technically and artistically demanding. We worked very hard during rehearsals and did our best in our performances. I am very proud," says Jing Huan, the youth orchestra's music director and principal conductor. She adds that over 100 members of the orchestra, mostly students from middle schools in Guangzhou, performed in Budapest.
"They showed no signs of fatigue after the long journey. Instead, they were brimming with energy and vitality, displaying a level of immersion and imagination that surpassed even that of more experienced adult symphony orchestras," Jing says.
The first half of both concerts was given to Chinese compositions, including the symphonic prelude of Instants d'un Opera de Pekin (Moments From a Peking Opera) by Chen Qigang, and the cello and pipa (a four-stringed Chinese lute) concerto A Happy Excursion by Zhao Lin, featuring soloists Li-Wei Qin on the cello and Zhang Qiang on the pipa.
"I particularly like Moments From a Peking Opera, though it's very difficult to play. I need to be able to control my fingers to express its quiet, ethereal feel. In contrast, I also need to play loudly, with dramatic expression," says 12-year-old violist Huang Jingyu, who has been playing with the youth orchestra since 2018. "It's always a great experience to play music with the other members of the orchestra who share a love for music."
"In the music played by these young people, we can almost hear the grand narratives of an ancient land and the aesthetic traditions of the Chinese. As a member of the audience, I was moved to tears by the sheer talent these young musicians displayed. Music is an international language that can unite people and help build a better future together," said ballet dancer Aliya Tanykpayeva, who was born in Kazakhstan and is the principal ballerina of the Hungarian State Opera, after the concert.
During the second half, the orchestra played Franz Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody No 2 and Igor Stravinsky's The Firebird Suite (1919 version).
According to Jing, Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody No 2 was the highlight of the tour and was a display of the orchestra's youthful energy and vibrancy. "The romanticism and sensitivity of the young performers was particularly moving," she says.
"The most interesting piece we played was The Firebird Suite, which was also the hardest for me. The composition gradually builds in intensity, creating an atmosphere of anticipation. I also like its vibrant and colorful use of musical instruments," says 23-year-old Song Wanlin who plays the flute. Song joined the orchestra in 2015 and now studies at Hochschule fur Musik Franz Liszt Weimar (University of Music Franz Liszt Weimar).
As the final note of The Firebird Suite slowly faded, the audience at the Hungarian State Opera House erupted in prolonged and enthusiastic applause.
According to orchestra head Chen Zhimin, the Guangzhou Symphony Youth Orchestra has toured internationally since 2015, including Germany, France, Japan and Spain, and has left its mark on many of the world's prestigious musical events. Last year, the orchestra performed at the Verbier Festival in Switzerland. Before that, it gave commemorative concerts in Barcelona, Valencia and Madrid, to mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Spain.
Founded in July 2011, the Guangzhou Symphony Youth Orchestra was the first in China to be organized and administered by a professional orchestra — the Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra — which coaches its members, including those with and without backgrounds in music.
For its 10th anniversary in July 2021, the orchestra embarked on its first China tour. Though its members are young, they've worked with many accomplished musicians, among them conductor Yu Long, composer and conductor Tan Dun, cellist Yo-Yo Ma and pianist Chen Sa.
