Featuring Long Yu, conductor and soloists Haochen Zhang, piano; David Kim, violin; and Don Liuzzi, percussion; Patrick Williams, flute; Yumi Kendall, cello; Yiwen Lu, jinghu; Yifei Fu, percussion; Xiaoxi Li, bamboo flute
Long Yu to make conducting debut with Philadelphia Orchestra
(Philadelphia, December 21, 2023)—In celebration of the Lunar New Year, conductor Long Yu will lead The Philadelphia Orchestra and an esteemed group of soloists in a special concert to usher in the Year of the Dragon on Friday, January 12, 2024, in Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts.
The evening’s program, carefully curated to inspire a spirit of renewal and auspicious beginnings, will include Chen’s Er Huang with pianist Haochen Zhang; Sarasate’s Fantasy on Bizet’s Carmen, with Philadelphia Orchestra Concertmaster David Kim; “Deep Night” featuring Yiwen Lu on the jinghu, a Chinese bowed string instrument, and Yifei Fu, percussion; “Song to the Moon” from Dvořák’s opera Rusalka in an arrangement for Philadelphia Orchestra Assistant Principal Cello Yumi Kendall; Li’s Spring Festival Overture featuring Philadelphia Orchestra Associate Principal Flute Patrick Williams and Xiaoxi Li, bamboo flute; and the traditional folksong Jasmine Flower in an arrangement featuring Yifei Fu and Philadelphia Orchestra Principal Timpani Don Liuzzi.
The Philadelphia Orchestra’s annual Lunar New Year celebration pays tribute to Philadelphia’s diverse Asian American community and is part of the ensemble’s ongoing relationship with the people of China as well as its commitment to furthering people-to-people exchange through music. In 1973, under the direction of Eugene Ormandy, The Philadelphia Orchestra became the first American orchestra to perform in China. Since that first visit, the full Orchestra has returned 11 times, most recently in 2019. In November 2023, an ensemble of musicians from the Orchestra traveled to China for the official 50th Anniversary China Residency, a visit recognized by both President Biden and President Xi.
Conductor Long Yu has devoted his career to steering China’s growing connection to classical music while familiarizing international audiences with the country’s most eminent musicians and composers. Yu currently holds the positions of artistic director of the China Philharmonic Orchestra in Beijing, music director of the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, and principal guest conductor of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra. He is also co-director of Shanghai’s Music in the Summer Air festival and chair of the artistic committee of the Beijing Music Festival, an annual autumn event that he founded in 1998 and for which he served as artistic director until 2017. He is currently vice president of the China Musicians Association, chairman of its League of China Orchestras, and Chair of the Tianjin Juilliard Advisory Council.
Lunar New Year
January 12 at 8:00 PM—Friday evening—Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts
Long Yu Conductor
Yiwen Lu Jinghu
Yifei Fu Percussion
Yumi Kendall Cello
Patrick Williams Flute
Xiaoxi Li Bamboo Flute
Haochen Zhang Piano
David Kim Violin
Don Liuzzi Percussion
Traditional “Deep Night,” for jinghu and orchestra
Dvořák “Song to the Moon,” from Rusalka
Li Spring Festival Overture, for flute duo and orchestra
Chen Er Huang, for piano and orchestra
Sarasate Fantasy on Bizet’s Carmen, for violin and orchestra
Traditional Jasmine Flower
Step into the enchanting world of music as special guest conductor Long Yu leads an extraordinary Lunar New Year celebration like no other. As we usher in the Year of the Dragon, the stage comes alive with the vibrant colors and rich sounds of a program carefully curated to resonate with the spirit of renewal and auspicious beginnings.
About The Philadelphia Orchestra
About the 2023–24 Season
Our Commitment to Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access Strategies (IDEAS)
# # #
CONTACTS:
Ashley Berke
267.250.5148
[email protected]
Stephanie Williams
610.952.6836
[email protected]
Alyssa Moore
215.893.3142
[email protected]