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Pianist Lang Lang will not perform with the China Philharmonic Orchestra at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre concert on July 2 (Monday), citing personal reasons. Replacing him as soloist with the orchestra is renowned pianist Yin Chengzong.
A spokesman for the Leisure and Cultural Services Department said today (June 27) the department was deeply disappointed that Lang Lang would not be performing.
At the July 2 concert, Yin Chengzong will play the "Yellow River Piano Concerto", a piece which he composed with Liu Zhang, Chu Wanghua and Shen Lihong in 1968 and performed in its debut performance in 1970. Apart from playing Guo Wenjing's "The Heroic Symphony", the Orchestra will play an additional piece - Bao Yuanhai's Selections from "Facets of Chinese Life". The programme on July 3 remains the same.
Yin is a virtuoso pianist and excels at piano arrangement and interpretation of traditional Beijing opera and other classic Chinese music. He has composed highly renowned piano pieces. His recording of "Yellow River" received a Gold Record award, with more than three million copies sold.
Graduated from the Leningrad Conservatory and Central Conservatory in Beijing, Yin is the only pianist to perform "Yellow River Concerto" with the Philadelphia Orchestra under the baton of Eugene Ormandy; and with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and Claudio Abbado. His music has touched millions of souls; Bernard Holland of the New York Times wrote that he demonstrated an "absolutely beautiful command of piano colours." Yin is also one of the four Chinese musicians listed in the 1980 New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians.
Should patrons want a refund, they can present tickets at the URTBIX outlets at Hong Kong Cultural Centre and Hong Kong City Hall from now until July 2¡@(Monday). For enquiries, please call 2268 7321.
Ends/Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Issued at HKT 06:51
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