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Songs for Phoenix: NDR Large Band with Wu Wei | Hanover | NDR.de – orchestra and choir


Status: 30/08/2022 11:00

“Tunes for Phoenix” is the title of the software of Sheng Wu Wei virtuoso and NDR Bigband in Could 2023. Principal conductor and arranger Geir Lysne conducts the previous subscription concert of the year in Hanover.

You should observe the current Corona polices

The live performance will just take put in accordance to the Corona regulations for Decrease Saxony in effect on the day of the event.

In Chinese philosophy, sheng stands for harmony, lifestyle, and the singing phoenix. Their seem, they say, is like the music of that mythical bird: silvery and fleeting like the wind. Wu Wei is a grasp of earning this chant audible.

The NDR Massive Band read this “music” for the to start with time a few decades ago and can not wait around to meet the Chinese musician once again. Principal Conductor Geir Lysne: “Our initial collaboration on the ‘Space Experience’ venture, where we acoustically explored and played every single corner of the Elbphilharmonie, was beautifully inspiring. That’s why the band and I are all happier to be ready to existing in Wu Wei exceptional in our fourth subscription concert like obtaining a visitor “.

Further information


In the 2022/2023 season, the NDR Large Band is also supplying 4 concerts in Hanover for the 1st time as a time ticket. Moreover




Air – the connecting aspect

Wu Wei is a sensitive, imaginative and very virtuoso musician who, in addition to his sheng, also provides the erhu, a two-stringed instrument, to this distinctive plan. Geir Lysne composes and arranges a application impressed by equally worlds. Air is one of the connecting aspects involving huge band and sheng.

The sheng is a so-called mouth organ, designed up of bamboo canes, an instrument of air and wind. In its initial type it is not crafted for European audio units. Even so, Wu Wei performs a contemporary, expanded variation of the sheng, with 37 pipes and new grips. It can move a few octaves and can hence retain up with the large orchestras and the massive band.

Tunes for Phoenix – a magical plan

This is exactly what Wu Wei fascinates. He studied sheng at the Shanghai Conservatory and came to Berlin as a student in 1995 to learn about and explore Western musical traditions. He nonetheless does this now and delivers a 3000 calendar year tradition into the 21st century with his outstanding engage in. He is touring with earth popular orchestras these as the Berlin Philharmonic or the Los Angeles Philharmonic, but also with explicitly contemporary orchestras these types of as the French Ensemble Intercontemporain or the Ensemble Fashionable. New worlds of audio emerge.

An historical Chinese custom carried into the 21st century

Uniquely, the exact same whistles sound for both equally inhalation and exhalation, and the sheng can also be made use of to engage in chords these as its later on kinfolk, accordion and harmonica. Additionally, you can find a phenomenal, pulsating rhythm. Wu Wei exploits all these possibilities when he embarks on a musical discovery tour, regardless of whether it be chamber tunes or orchestral, with jazz bands or as a soloist.

For this he has by now been given several international awards, has recorded CDs for Deutsche Grammophon and Sony Classical. In 2017 he acquired the award for most effective Sheng soloist in China, the Edinburgh Festival awarded him and due to the fact 2004 he has held the Rudolstadt Festival’s Global Root German Earth Music Prize at household.

For this he has by now been given many worldwide awards, has recorded CDs for Deutsche Grammophon and Sony Classical. In 2017 he acquired the award for finest Sheng soloist in China, the Edinburgh Pageant awarded him and due to the fact 2004 he has held the Rudolstadt Festival’s World Root German Earth Tunes Prize at house.

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