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Wang Xinxin, one of the most renowned Nanguan musicians from Taiwan, will perform in Hong Kong next month (December).
The concerts, "Wang Xinxin Vocal Performance of the Nanguan School", will be held at 7.30pm on December 19 (Friday) at the Theatre, Sheung Wan Civic Centre; and at 2.30pm and 7.30pm on December 20 (Saturday) at the Xiang Hai Xuan Multi-purpose Hall, Nan Lian Garden.
Collaborating with dancer Cheng Xinyi and xiao player Wei Bonian, Wang will perform "Nostalgia in Moonlight", "In the Cold Room", "Song of The Pipa Lute" (December 19 and matinee on December 20 only) and "Elegy on a Funeral for Flowers" (evening on December 20 only).
Nanguan is one of the oldest genres of Chinese music. As the instrumentation and music theory are very similar to those in the Han and Tang Dynasty, it has been hailed as the "living fossil of Chinese Music"
Wang Xinxin, who grew up in Quanzhou, began her study of Nanguan music at the age of 4, and became famous for her exceptional voice and singing skills. Lin Hwai-min, the artistic director of the renowned "Cloud Gate Dance Theatre" declared: "When she (Wang) is on the stage, she immediately commands the attention of all in the auditorium; and when she opens her mouth to sing, we simply forget where we are."
Wang was the music instructor at the Quanzhou Nanyin Music Ensemble in China and the music director of the Taipei's Han-Tang Yuefu Music Ensemble. She is a frequent guest performer in arts and music events around the world, touring France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Portugal and the United States. The winner of the "Golden Tripod Award for the Best Singing" in 1995, Wang was nominated for the best producer from the recording "Nostalgia in Moonlight", which also won the "Golden Melody Award for the Best Ethnic Music Album". Wang currently teaches at the Graduate Institute of Musicology at the National Taiwan University.
"Wang Xinxin Vocal Performance of the Nanguan School" is one of the concerts in "Nan Lian Garden Chinese Music Series" presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department. Tickets priced at $150 (Sheung Wan Civic Centre only) and $200 are now available at URBTIX outlets. Senior citizens aged 60 or above, people with disabilities, full-time students and Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) recipients may have 50% off (limited quotas for students and CSSA recipients on a first-come, first-served basis). A maximum discount of 20% is offered for group booking and "Nan Lian Garden Chinese Music Series" schemes. Please refer to the programme leaflet for details.
Other attractions in the "Nan Lian Garden Chinese Music Series" include "Guqin Concert by Li Xiangting" (January 16-17, 2009), "Nanyin Concert by Tong Kin-woon" (February 22, March 7 and 14), "Harmonious Chords - A Chinese Music Concert Featuring the Qin and the Se" (February 27-28), "Green is the Willow - Guqin Recital by Jin Wei" (March 6-7) and "By the Nan Lian Garden - Concert by Chinese Music Virtuosi" (March 21).
Nan Lian Garden is situated at 60 Fung Tak Road, Diamond Hill, Kowloon, adjacent to the Chi Lin Nunnery. Enquiries: 2329 8811.
For enquiries about the programme, call 2268 7321 or visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/cp. Ticketing enquiries and reservations can be made on 2734 9009 and credit card telephone bookings on 2111 5999. Tickets can also be booked online at www.urbtix.hk.
Ends/Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Issued at HKT 13:02
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