Purvis, Van Sice, and Yale Percussion at Central Conservatory

Percussion Prof Robert Van Sice greets the large audience in the Central Conservatory Recital Hall

On July 23, after rehearsals for the Mahler concert, two members of the Yale faculty, hornist William Purvis and percussionist Robert Van Sice, went to the recital hall of the Central Conservatory of Music to give master classes for students there. In addition, members of the Yale percussion group performed both individually and in ensemble.

All of these events were well-attended and there was plenty of time for coaching, with the teachers aided by very capable translators. What was most striking was that both Purvis and Van Sice emphasized the importance of musicality, expression, gesture, and communication, talking about technique only to the degree necessary to make these musical qualities come alive.

The CCOM students were clearly very skilled, but after a few minutes with these master teachers, their ability to make music took a leap forward.

These and many more photos here.

William Purvis works with a horn student on a Mozart Concerto

Purvis demonstrates how performers would have changed pitches in Mozart's time with a natural horn

Robert Van Sice listens to an energetic CCOM marimba player

CCOM students and other young audience members crowd around Van Sice and members of the Yale Perucssion Group, including Michael Zell, Lea DeRoi, Michael Compitello, and Ji Hye Jung

Philharmonia and Central Conservatory prepare for Mahler

Workers maintain the grounds and clean the exterior of the National Center for the Performing Arts in preparation for the July 24 concert

The large orchestra of Yale and CCOM musicians rehearse Mahler under Yongyan Hu

Vocal soloists Heather Buck, soprano, and Mary Phillips, mezzo

On July 23, instrumentalists of the Yale Philharmonia and the Central Conservatory, along with the CCOM Chorus and Yale alumni vocal soloists began their rehearsals for Mahler’s Symphony No. 2. These preparations took place in a spacious rehearsal room below ground in the spectacular National Center for the Performing Arts. All of these forces were under the direction of the music director of CCOM’s EOS Orchestra, Yongyan Hu.

During a break at the rehearsal, the musicians were greeted by  Dean Robert Blocker of the Yale School of Music and by CCOM’s President Cizhao Wang.

CCOM President Cizhao Wang, YSM Dean Robert Blocker, and conductor Yongyan Hu.

Also in attendance was Wing Ho, chair of CCOM’s viola department and a distinguished 1987 graduate of the Yale School of Music.

Yale horn faculty member William Purvis (back row, 2nd from left) joins his students as part of the large horn section

The CCOM Chorus rehearses with the orchestra

Sellout at the Forbidden City

The Philharmonia takes a bow in the Forbidden City Concert Hall

The Philharmonia’s second tour concert took place on Tuesday, July 22 at the Forbidden City Concert Hall in Beijing. The concert hall is close to the ancient buildings of the Forbidden City, but is a modern hall with all the amenities one would expect: spacious dressing rooms, motorized stage risers for various configurations, a huge stage, and excellent lighting. This concert, like the Seoul concert, was a sellout. It was incorporated into the Musicathlon and also into a concert series that promoted classical music to a young audience.

The audience stands for the Chinese and American national anthems.

The program featured the same works by Bernstein and Dvorak, but this time the concerto was the first cello concerto by Saint-Saens, featuring Jian Wang. Wang is one of our most distinguished alumni, and it is clear that he is a beloved artist in his native China. He received an enormous ovation after the concerto, and performed two enccores, both selections from Bach solo cello suites.

Jian Wang shown rehearsing with Shinik Hahm and the Philharmonia on Tuesday afternoon

Another  big hit was the world premiere of Derrick Wang’s colorful and brilliant arrangement of a Chinese folk song for full orchestra. The work features many effects emulating Chinese traditional instuments, such as the Erhu and Chinese cymbals. Violin solos were played by Wayne Lin, and he received cheers after the performance.