Tanggong Festival gets off to a choral start

The Tanggong Music Festival kicked off with a concert by the Zhejiang Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Zhang Yi on Aug 5 at the Tang Xianzu Grand Theater in Suichang county in Zhejiang province.

Between Aug 5 and 13, concerts, seminars, workshops and master classes will be held as part of the festival.

Located in Lishui city, Suichang is known as the place where Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) writer Tang Xianzu wrote his masterpiece The Peony Pavilion — a Kunqu Opera classic — about 400 years ago.

China has been promoting Tang's legacy by organizing a series of cultural events, including the Tanggong Music Festival, which was launched by Zhejiang province in 2018, and which is named in the writer's honor.

This year, Zhang, who is the artistic director of the Zhejiang Symphony Orchestra, has been positioned as the festival's principal artist, and has arranged the programming.

He says there will 10 concerts this year, covering a diverse range of musical styles, including classical music, jazz, traditional Chinese music and chamber music.

One of the festival's highlights is the Gonggeng Academy, a music training project co-initiated by celebrated composer Chen Qigang in 2013.

For the opening concert, a choir composed of 50 academy students performed Chen's symphonic suite, The Flowers of War, which he composed for Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou's movie of the same name.

On Aug 13, the students and the chamber music ensemble of the National Ballet of China's symphony orchestra, will perform together under Zhang's baton.