On the evening of November 2nd, 2015, the Central Conservatory of Music China Youth Symphony Orchestra Celebration Concert was held at the National Centre for the Performing Arts. A number of government officials, school leaders, and the representatives of top music school at home and in abroad presented at the concert.
The star-studded concert attracted the teachers and students of CCOM as well as many well renowned alumni on the stage. According to the order of appearance on the stage, the performing musicians included conductors Xia Xiaotang, Li Xincao, Yang Yang, Lin Tao, Shao En, and Chen Lin; vocalists Zhang Liping, Zhang Jianyi, and Yuan Chenye; clarinetist Fan Lei; violist Su Zhen; cellist Lu Xin; violinists Chen Xi, Lv Siqing, and Xue Wei; pianists Ju Jin and Lang Lang. The accompanied orchestra was CCOM China Youth Symphony Orchestra and number of invited alumni graduated from the orchestral instruments department of CCOM. These outstanding musicians presented a fantastic show to the audiences. The whole concert, which was even hard to get a ticket, lasted totally three and a half hours. We should called the concert "a feast of music."
The first half of the concert included Festival Overture by Dimitri Shostakovich, the aria "Vissi d'arte, vissi d'amore" from Tosca by Giacomo Puccini, the duet "Au fond du temple saint" from The Pearl Fishers by Georges Bizet, the trio "Tace la note" from Il Trovatore by Giuseppe Verdi, Double Concerto for Viola, Clarinet and Orchestra Op.88 by Max Bruch, Triple Concerto in C Major Op.56 by Ludwig van Beethoven, Nostalgia by Ma Sicong, and Zigeunerweisen Op.20 by Pablo de Sarasate; the second half included Light Cavalry Overture by Franz von Suppe, Violin Concerto in g minor No.1, Op.26 by Max Bruch, and Piano Concerto in b flat minor No.1, Op.23 by Pyotr Tchaikovsky.
In addition, the musicians and the organizers brought two surprises to the audiences. On the first half of the concert, Lv Siqing introduced to the audiences the violin that he and Chen Xi played on the concert. It is the famous "ex-General Dupont Grumiaux," a Stradivarius violin made in 1727. The owner of the violin borrowed it to Chen Xi and Lv Siqing to play for celebrating the 75th anniversary of CCOM. After this introduction, Lv Siqing played one Paganini's Sonata as his encore.
By the end of the concert, after his fabulous performance of Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No.1, the world renowned pianist Lang Lang was awarded the Honorary Degree of Doctor of the Central Conservatory of Music. He became the first Honorary Doctor of CCOM since the establishment of our school. The President of CCOM Wang Cizhao awarded the Certificate of Honorary Doctor Degree of CCOM to Lang Lang. Wearing the Doctor's gown and hood, excited Lang Lang expressed his deep gratitude to his alma mater. He played an encore piece "Cuban Dance Music" and again, his performance brought a carnival-like atmosphere into the whole concert hall.
