The North American Guqin Association (NAGA) presented a multi-disciplinary stage performance Music of Confucius - Chinese Cultural Heritage Guqin Concert on June 21, 2009 at the Milpitas Community Center. This exciting production featured various programs integrating guqin music with poetry recitation, dance, martial arts, Chinese Choengsam show and natural object music. The concert was NAGAs largest production of the year, which involved over 50 performers and production staffs. It featured many famous artists and combined resources of several organizations and performance groups. The 300-seat venue was filled to its capacity. The audience also had a rare chance to listen to qin music played on an antique qin from the late Song Dynasty (approximately 900 years ago).
Please see photo album by Wesley Zhang at:
http://bayareachinese.smugmug.com/gallery/8645055_WiXuJ#570471421_wpiVQ
Our show is featured in several media. Please check out the online version of those news coverage. * TV interview with Diana Ding * Tri City Voice(local English newspaper) * World Journal (local Chinese newspaper)(5/29) * World Journal (local Chinese newspaper)(6/22) * Singtao Daily(local Chinese newspaper)(5/29) * Singtao Daily(local Chinese newspaper)(6/22)
Classic guqin pieces were performed by Wang Fei in collaboration with artists who were also Zhi Yin of guqin music. The audience was transported back to the age of sages when qin music and poetry were an integral part of a scholars education - through narration and recitation by Diana Ding and Victor Saberi in Three Variations on the Plum Blossom and Three Variations on the Yang Pass. The Solitary Orchid - a qin piece notated in the oldest surviving qin score - was accompanied by natural object musician Cheryl Leonard, whose playing evoked the sound of nature and antiquity. The audience was invited to close their eyes and imagine going back in time and meet Confucius though Youlan. Drunken Ecstasy was performed by martial artist Wang Quan with impressive martial arts movement incorporated into the qin music. In the closing number Flowing Water, Wang Fei and natural object musician Cheryl Leonard conjured the experience of listening to the guqin on a high mountain or by a flowing stream - places of natural beauty where the guqin is played a scene that is often depicted in Chinese poetry and paintings. The music was combined with refined dancing by Xiaopei He Gelb, and the long fabrics of her costume flowing gracefully in the air which echoed the movement of flowing water captivated both the audience and their imagination.
Students from the NAGA 2009 guqin and poetry class also performed several qin pieces. Most of them started out as total beginners only 3-6 months ago. One student was in her 60s and some students were non-Chinese speakers, but they were able to sing and play ancient Chinese poetry after a short period of training. It was very encouraging to see the students perform so confidently, which proved that guqin is a very effective tool for learning Chinese culture.
VIP guests who attended include: Paul Fong, California Assembly Member; Sun Jianhua, Cultural Consul of the Chinese Consulate; Shao Wei, Education Consul of the Chinese Consulate; Dr. Sanford Tom, North American Guqin Association Board Director; Professor Lindy Mark; Jose Esteves, Former Mayor of Milpitas; Kansen Chu & Daysi Chu, City of San Jose Council Member; Heidi Pham, Community Volunteer and Santa Clara County Employee; Craig Donnelly, District Office Director for Betty Yee - member of Board of Equalization; Aileen Kao, Former Saratoga Mayor; Sally Wu, Vice-Chair of Asian Americans for Community Involvement; Susie Nagpal, City of Saratoga Council Member;; Forrest Williams, Santa Clara County Commissioner and Candidate for Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors; David Quach, General Manager of Milpitas Ocean Supermarket; Mr. Thanh, Owner of New Tung Kee Restaurant.
This concert is co-presented by US Chinese Women Cultural Organization and sponsored by City of Milpitas, Alliance for California Traditional Art, Silicon Valley Community Foundation and Arts Council Silicon Valley, beijingers.com,chineseculture.net, world channel TV, bayareadragon.com,99people.com,and Shanghai Association of N. California.
NAGA would like to thank our production crew members and volunteers:
Executive Producer: Wang Fei
Producer: Rose He
Director: Xiaopei He Gelb
MC: Diana Ding, Vinie Miller and Victor Saberi
Stage Manager: Daniel Lin and Stage Hands: Michael, Joseph, Sandra, Xiao Lian
Sound and Lighting: CP Feng
Program Design: Julian Joseph
PR Manager: Chin Lin
Special thanks to: Renee Lorentzen, Lily Kharrazi, Jenifer Kane, Audrey Wong, Sherwood Chen, Zhirong Wang, Peter Wu, Zhao Yan, Heidi Pham.
North American Guqin Association
http://www.guqin.org
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2:40Confuciusby musicgoddess1812,685 views
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Does the Song Dynasty guqin appear in this video?
dbadagna 1 year ago