Asia Tour 2009 - National Symphony Orchestra Blog

7/6/2009

The NSO's 2009 Asian Tour has come to an end, but a few memories deserve special mention:

Violinist Nikolaj Znaider (who came to the NSO's rescue when Leonidas Kavakos had to cancel due to medical reasons), for his last performance in Seoul, dedicated his encore to his musical colleagues of the past two weeks: the musicians of the NSO and Principal Conductor Iván Fischer.

The five health questionnaires and six temperature scans as the tour party travelled from one city to another. No one had to be quarantined!
Fischer and Znaider, mobbed at post-concert autograph sessions in Beijing and Shanghai.
The incredible underwater walkway in Beijing's National Center for the Performing Arts ("the Egg").
Iván Fischer, pacing back and forth backstage, memorizing the evening's possible encores in Chinese and Korean.
The baker in Seoul, who, upon being told that his customer was with the National Symphony Orchestra, immediately began piling treats into a carrying box, as his "welcome to Korea" gift to the NSO.
And all of you, who have taken the time to catch up with us while we were half a world away. Thank you very much.

Posted at 6:17 PM by Steele, Cynthia P | Category: Asia Tour 2009 | Permalink | Email this Post | Comments (1)

6/18/2009

Daniel Kellogg is an American composer. His piece Western Skies was performed by the NSO on this tour in Beijing and Xi'an, China, and will be performed in Seoul on June 18.

I am in the Beijing airport and have just finished 5 days of traveling with the National Symphony Orchestra on their Asian tour. They have brought along my piece Western Skies, which I wrote for this occasion, and I was able to catch the Beijing and Xi'an performances.

It has been a great honor to be in China with the NSO representing America. This is a unique time to travel to China in the wake of the 2008 Olympics. I think of that event as some sort of grand debut on the world stage for a country that is growing and changing at an astounding rate. I was certainly mesmerized along with the rest of the world at the magnitude and excellence of the Opening Ceremony (as well as the rest of the games). I was eager to see how this city has changed since my last visit in 2000. This time around, it is almost a completely different city. It is clear this country will be a focal point for the whole world in decades to come.

This has also been a moment of great family pride to have my work presented at the National Centre for Performing Arts in Beijing. Although my ancestry is as mixed European as they come, my wife, pianist Hsing-ay Hsu, was born in Beijing and lived here until the age of eight. Beijing is the home city of my wife's family and is now the ancestral home of my daughter. Hsing-ay comes from a family of musicians. Her parents played in the Central Philharmonic and the Central Opera Orchestra, and her father played for Pres. Nixon back in 1972. Their musical lives are entwined with this grand city. I feel like I have joined the musical heritage of my family by having a Chinese premiere in the grand new hall of Beijing.

Many thanks to the NSO for all the wonderful performances and detailed travel planning!

Truly Memorable Moments from the tour…

-- An amazing braised ox shank dish shared with bass player Paul DeNola. The whole meal (shared by 3 people) was fantastic and included 7 dishes, 5 big beers, and only cost $20USD a person.

-- Closing down a bar with trumpet player Tom Cupples and bass trombone player Matt Guilford at Houhai Lake. We got back to the hotel at 3AM.

-- Buying custom tailored suits from the embassy recommended tailor Wendy. Probably 30 NSO musicians bought something from this person and at the time of my fitting, there were around 12 of us chatting back and forth about material, cuffs, pleats, etc. The suit is fantastic.

-- Seeing the National Performing Arts Centre for the first time. This is an extraordinary building that looks like half of a giant egg sticking out of the ground. Definitely the biggest performing arts structure I have ever seen.

-- Checking out the 798 Arts area with the many hip galleries and cafes that would easily fit in with the coolest American or European cities. Half of the people in this popular but very out of the way area were Westerners.

-- Sharing a Peking Duck meal with my wife's aunt and uncle near their home on the third ring. Even though I have only met them once, they treated me like intimate family.

-- Getting to hear two more performances of my music by the amazing NSO, and Maestro Fisher's emotionally charged finale to Tchaikovsky's 5th Symphony one more time.

-- Reconnecting with old Curtis classmates who now perform and live in Beijing.

Posted at 4:35 AM by Steele, Cynthia P | Category: Asia Tour 2009 | Permalink | Email this Post | Comments (0)

6/16/2009

The Great Wall of China, by Emil de Cou

Emil de Cou is the Associate Conductor of the NSO.

Walking the streets of this lively city you are struck by so many things – first, for me is that Beijing has to be the commerce capitol of the world. If it can be made and sold, it is to be found on any street corner where people congregate. Our visit to the Great Wall was no exception – souvenir books, postcards, (what appeared to be) Rolex watches, clothes, human (and bear) food, and jewelry is everywhere you go. Out of our rental cab and up to the Great Wall via a magical (and momentarily) quiet gondola car we go. And then into the crush of humanity that populate this wonder of the modern world. The walking was somewhat precarious, since these steps were built for soldiers and not Nike clad tourists.

Emil de Cou, Associate Conductor NSO, Leif Bjaland, Artistic Director Sarasota Orchestra (FL) on the Great Wall

Posted at 5:26 AM by Steele, Cynthia P | Category: Asia Tour 2009 | Permalink | Email this Post | Comments (1)

Masterclass at Beijing's Central Conservatory, by Daniel Foster

Daniel Foster is the Principal Viola in the NSO.

While in Beijing I had the opportunity to visit Beijing's Central Conservatory and give a viola master class. The Central Conservatory consists of two schools: a middle school/high school and a college conservatory. The lower school is considered particularly fine–some 3000 violists audition for only about 6 positions. The technical training the students receive and the discipline that they develop is, as one would expect, outstanding. Many of the most talented high-schoolers, however, opt to continue their college studies abroad, either in Europe or the U.S., where the teaching is more nuanced and gives these tremendously gifted students an opportunity of developing greater musical depth and their own unique musical voices.

The master class itself was in itself much like any master class. I heard six students ranging in age from twelve to nineteen. In ability they ranged from tremendous to mediocre, with the youngest student showing great promise–technically well set up, but a completely blank slate musically.

The day before the master class, which took place at the college campus, I had a tour of the conservatory's high school, housed in a 16-story building across town from the college. While much about the atmosphere took me back to my own conservatory days in the U.S., I took note of two significant differences: firstly, in addition to programs in all the orchestral instruments, piano, and voice, they have a large traditional Chinese instrument department as well. It was interesting to hear students practicing scales and arpeggios on instruments whose sounds were completely new to me. Secondly, in each practice room (there was a dedicated room for each student at the school), there was a camera, and I was informed that if a student stopped practicing for too long, a voice would sound over the loundspeaker in his or her room admonishing the delinquent student to get back to work!

Posted at 5:22 AM by Steele, Cynthia P | Category: Asia Tour 2009 | Permalink | Email this Post | Comments (0)

6/15/2009

Beijing, by Emil de Cou

Emil de Cou is the Associate Conductor of the NSO.

There have been so many unexpected events here on my first-ever tour of mainland China, but I think the best has been our opening concert at the amazing complex that they call "the Egg." I snapped this picture of it at night after our first concert.

Beijing Egg

Getting to the Egg (more formally known as The National Centre for the Performing Arts) on my own was a bit more of an adventure than I had planned on. After walking through the Forbidden City for hours and then having a lunch that included a half of a duck (literally - including half of a duck head which was partially edible) I took a cab to what was supposed to be The Performing Arts Centre - according to Google Maps.

At the Forbidden City things go better with:

Forbidden Coke

Off went the cab and there I stood in front of a generic office building, so I walked looking for this new landmark in Beijing. After pantomiming "where is the Performing Arts Centre also known as 'the Egg'" I was directed to walk a long way towards Tiananmen Square: after around a 1/2 hour I made it to the famous building only to see that it was surrounded by water! Another friendly policeman told me to walk underneath it - which I did, via the most amazing passageway into a concert hall I have ever seen. The ceiling is the glass bottom of the reflecting pool above - an incredible mixture of sunlight reflected through lapping waves -- a real fish-eye view.

Beijing Egg Structure

Getting backstage was also took a great deal of James Bonding - finally I walked into the room as Ivan startedDaniel Kellogg's Western Skies. It look a while (and several bottles of water) to calm down from the heat, dust, crowded streets, and all of that pantomiming! After the rehearsal was a very moving ceremony about the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between this amazing and awe-inspiring country and our republic. It was a reminder of how much Western music and the NSO perform internationally in a role much greater than it appears to be on the surface. After many impressive tributes and an eloquent speech by our own diplomatic [Executive Director] Rita Shapiro there was the most incredible buffet dinner I think I have had in years - served in the Western dining room at that!

Then to the main course - the concert.

In walked all what looked to be all sorts of average citizens of Beijing. Much like the Kennedy Center, you saw people in suits, people in jeans, fancy dresses and regular street clothes.

Westerners and Easterners alike. What struck me was the number of young people - friends together and on dates, all seemingly in their early 20s. Many more than you would see at home - it was a wonderful sight.

After thunderous chiming of deep bells pealed (another reminder that we were not in Kansas, or across the river from Rosslyn) came long addresses in Mandarin. Then Nurit [Concertmaster Nurit Bar-Josef] came out looking nicely tan from outdoor activities and then our Maestro and Kellogg's new piece. The audience was very attentive - no one was reading the program book but just listening intently, and then giving the new work a well deserved ovation. Next out walked Nikolaij Znaider who gave at times a rip-roaring and at others a quietly poetic performance of the Tchaikovsky Concerto. The orchestra shimmered in the second movement and then the Cossack-stomping finale set the house on fire. There were no pro forma "bravos" or instant standing ovations, which I rather liked -- only an honest response from an audience who listened attentively and who came to this performance of Western orchestral music which is still a relatively new art form to this part of the globe following the Cultural Revolution. I looked a lot at the audience and they all made me very happy - the future of orchestral music is in good hands here in Beijing. All the more so, I thought, when I looked down my row and saw a young lady who had brought not one but two Winnie-the-Pooh bears to join her at the concert.

Out into the warm night and then a look back at that 'Egg', even more amazing in the darkness with a warm breeze and set against the night sky aglow like a fantastic space ship. In a way it is.

I can't wait for our next night's performance - I hope Winnie comes back.

- NSO Associate Conductor Emil de Cou

Posted at 10:14 AM by Hunter, G. Ethan | Category: Asia Tour 2009 | Permalink | Email this Post | Comments (1)

6/12/2009

Beijing, by Yvonne Caruthers

Yvonne Caruthers is a cellist in the NSO. On June 11, the NSO had a 3-5pm rehearsal and a 7:30pm concert. Yvonne shares some photos with us of things she saw on her morning walk before heading to the concert hall.

"Old China" hasn't been replaced by "new China" just yet. NSO librarian Marcia Farabee and I went out for a walk this morning and came upon several sights that reminded us of daily lives in this huge metropolis.

Posted at 1:22 PM by Steele, Cynthia P | Category: Asia Tour 2009 | Permalink | Email this Post | Comments (1)

6/11/2009

Touring, by Jeff Weisner

Jeff Weisner is a bassist in the NSO.

At a certain point on any NSO tour, you'll hear someone make some version of the following comment: "All these concerts and rehearsals are really ruining this tour for me!" It's a joking way of pointing out the sometimes annoying reality of touring. All of us come on a tour with at least some plans of being, well, tourists. We're in a foreign country, staying in a nice hotel, and being paid to do it. All of us want to find ways to get out and experience local culture and see the sights. (Fortunately, our schedule does allow us some time to do this; three days from now many of us will be on the Great Wall on our day off in Beijing!)

However, the truth is that that we're here to perform and present what we do to a new audience. Travel is stressful and sometimes exhausting, and we need to structure our touristic activities around making sure that our energy and focus can be there for our rehearsals and concerts. Yesterday afternoon in Macau was the first time on this tour that I had to curtail my sightseeing urge in order to be ready for a concert. We had a rehearsal in the morning and had the afternoon free. It was the only large block of free time we had in Macau, and I had hoped to take a stroll in the city. However, I sensed that a huge wave of jet-lag-related exhaustion was headed my way, and instead of strolling I opted for a nap and nice dinner at the hotel. I get frustrated being in a place like Macau and not having a chance to see much; it's not too likely I'll be back here again anytime soon. However, I'm pretty sure that I would have treated the audience at last night's concert to a few impromptu and unscheduled bass solos if I hadn't rested!

Posted at 12:53 PM by Steele, Cynthia P | Category: Asia Tour 2009 | Permalink | Email this Post | Comments (3)

Macau, by Yvonne Caruthers

Yvonne Caruthers is a cellist in the NSO.

Here are a few photos from Hong Kong and Macau. We took a jetboat just like the one in the photo to get from HK to Macau.

The weather is hot and humid, rather like DC in the dog days of August. Yesterday there was a huge thunderstorm while we were having a rehearsal and the thunder was so loud we could hear it onstage! Jet lag makes it hard to stay awake in the evenings, and breakfast is a popular meal for a few days. The audience at last night's first concert (Macau) was very enthusiastic (and sold out!) ---always a nice way to start a tour. The yellow building is in the historic (Portuguese) part of Macau, a UNESCO protected site.

H1N1 is a REALLY big deal here. We get scanned at least once a day to see if we have an elevated temperature. I like the scanner that looks like it was borrowed from the set of WALL-E. You stand in front of it for 3 seconds while it "looks" at you.

Posted at 12:24 AM by Steele, Cynthia P | Category: Asia Tour 2009 | Permalink | Email this Post | Comments (1)

6/9/2009

Hong Kong to Macao, June 8

We arrived safely in Hong Kong late in the evening on June 7, and had one night of rest at a hotel before taking a one-hour Turbojet ferry trip to Macao today (June 8).

Classical Movements General Manager Tanya Lervik (in green with the clipboard) supervised getting the group's luggage checked onto the ferry. We had assistance from the porters at the ferry terminal, and it went very smoothly.

Tomorrow (June 9) we have a morning rehearsal and an evening concert at the Macao Cultural Centre. This is the first concert of the tour, and on the program is Wagner's Prelude to Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto in E minor, with soloist Nikolaj Znaider, and Tchaikovsky's Symphony No 5 in E minor.

The group is adjusting to the time change, since we are 12 hours ahead here in Macao, and exploring the city a little bit this evening.

Posted at 3:39 AM by Steele, Cynthia P | Category: Asia Tour 2009 | Permalink | Email this Post | Comments (2)

6/6/2009

Off to Asia!

Cynthia Steele is the Orchestra Manager at the NSO.

Today, June 6, the NSO will check in at the airport and depart on the long journey to Asia. We fly to Seoul, have a layover, and then take a flight to Hong Kong.

Our first concert is in Macao (also frequently spelled Macau) on June 9 at the Macao Cultural Centre, with a rehearsal earlier that day. The concert is sold out and we are really excited to perform there. Macao is accessible to Hong Kong via ferry. Because our flight doesn't arrive into Hong Kong until 10pm, we'll be spending one night in Hong Kong on June 7 before taking the 1-hour ferry ride to Macao on June 8.

Yesterday, Kate Preston, Assistant Production Manager, met Tanya Lervik from Classical Movements (the travel management company) at the airport with 100+ passports to work on the pre-check in and have all of the boarding cards printed. Doing this in advance will help the group check in go smoothly and quickly this morning. We'll be at the airport early to make sure all tour personnel have the NSO luggage tags and luggage stickers on their luggage, so that their bags don't get separated from the group upon arrival. We also color code each bag into one of four colors (each bag will have a colored tag/strap), which helps us direct the porters at hotels and airports and make sure the bags get on the correct bus when we are departing each hotel for the airport.

We will update when we arrive in Asia!

Posted at 9:27 AM by Steele, Cynthia P | Category: Asia Tour 2009 | Permalink | Email this Post | Comments (4)

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