An Australian local orchestra presented a symphonic concert containing Chinese classical music on Friday night at Sydney's major landmark Town Hall.
Beginning with the "Spring Festival Overture", a joyful and exuberant
With the orchestra as a backdrop, the soloists played Chinese folk music, "Spring of the Tian Shan Mountains" and "Love" from the Chinese drama "Qiao's Courtyard", using traditional instruments pipa and erhu, respectively.
Peking opera singer Yan Wu also received a round of applause at the stage before she started her performance of "Ode to the Pear Blossom", while the Mongolian folk songs, "Swan Goose" and "New Horse Racing", brought the performance to a climax with the addition of sheng and yangqin, two traditional Chinese musical instruments.
Other enchanting classics, including the "Overture of Symphony No. 1" and "Hungarian Dances No.1", were also performed by either the orchestra itself or in cooperation between the soloists.
As one of Sydney's largest Chinese New Year celebrations held in the heart of the city, the featured musical event showcased the diverse creativity and attracted hundreds of classical music lovers.
One of the audiences, who only gave his name as Martin, said he was astounded by the performance, praising the combination as "so wonderful and refreshing".
"The eastern instruments and the eastern music melded with the western sounds. It goes so well together. It's in this time when everything seems so polarized, the harmony of the east and the west to me was refreshing and delightful," said Martin.
