A special concert held by Nanjing University Traditional Instruments Orchestra to celebrate its 20th anniversary enchanted government and university leaders, teachers and students in the evening of December 10 at Enling Theater of Xianlin campus.
Sitting in the audience were Zhang Daliang, director of the higher education department of the State Ministry of Education, Ge Daokai, secretary of Jiangsu provincial CPC’s education committee and party secretary of provincial education department, Zhang Yibin, chancellor of Nanjing University, Nanjing University’s department leaders, representatives of teachers and students.
The conductor Zhang Jingbo led the Chinese instruments orchestra to give an ensemble performance of Overture of Spring Festival and Joyful South Yangtze at the beginning of the concert, creating a joyous atmosphere.
Then, the Ambush, the ensemble of pipa and bass drum, impressed the audience with its strong rhythm.
The flute ensemble by alumni and current students played Spring Visiting Xiang Jiang River. Their music presented a lively picture of people’s harmonious life by the Xiangjiang River.
Jingling Camel Bells, the instrumental ensemble of plucked strings, led the audience into dreams of the Silk Road, while now the Belt and Road initiative will lead China to new heights.
The old and new members of the orchestra jointly performed Dreaming the Future, combining the calligraphy demonstration and zither playing.
Qinhuai Lantern Fair bore the unique feature of folk music ensemble.
The audience had their old memory brought back when Zhu Changyao, erhu player, and Wang Aikang, permanent conductor of the Traditional Instruments Orchestra of Jiangsu Province, were playing the theme song of A Dream of Red Mansions with erhu.
Mr. Zhu, together with the whole erhu group, played a delightful melody, Horse Racing, winning bursts of applauses.
Sun Chengxun, formerly a guest instrument player of the orchestra, led Dabo River Caprice. The musical instrument ensembles brought the concert to a climax. They were Dance of the Yao People and Happy News from Beijing to Frontier Fortresses, led by Zhang Jingbo the conductor.
Folk songs chosen by the orchestra, diversified as they were, were all distinguished by rhythm and sound. Likewise, Nanjing University boasts its diversified humanities, science and engineering courses, but they inherit the same spirit.
The encores Jubilance and the Full Moon and Blooming Flowers brought the concert to a successful end amid lasting applauses of the standing audience.
Looking back at the past 20 years, members of the orchestra regarded this concert as a demonstration of their achievements to school leaders, teachers and students.
More than 60 alumni who were formerly members of the orchestra also attended the concert. Chancellor Zhang Yibin issued the orchestra’s 20-year commemorative certificates to representatives of these former members and also to the specialists who have supported the growth of the orchestra.
The goal of the university’s traditional instruments orchestra, which was established in 1996, is to promote Chinese national culture, refined arts as well as culture-oriented education and provide a stage for students to develop and demonstrate themselves.
Consisting of graduates and undergraduates, the orchestra now is a large one with all kinds of parts. It has carried out over 50 performances for the “high art onto campus” program of the State Education Ministry and provincial education department and won many awards in art performance shows and contests for college students.
The orchestra made performance tours to Europe, North America, Asia as well as China’s Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao. They were warmly received in all the places where they visited.
Since 2009, the orchestra has made six trips abroad on behalf of the Art Troupe of Chinese College Students, visited more than 50 Confucius Institutes in such countries as Britain, Germany, Canada and America and carried out more than 60 performances for local people in these countries.
At the plenary session of the 10th Congress of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles (CFLAC), President Xi Jinping pointed out that culture is closely linked with the development of a country and ethnic music, as an important component of the traditional Chinese culture, has had many inspiring works.
The members of the orchestra expressed their wish that they will carry forward into future the university’s motto of “Sincerity with Aspiration” and make contributions to building the university into a world-class university with first-rate disciplines.
