MEDIA RELEASE:
East meets West when the Shanghai Quartet return
For immediate release / 3 June 2005 / 429 words
Described by international media as musicians who give "the kind of performance composers dream of", chamber music
superstars the Shanghai Quartet return to New Zealand in June. The quartet will present an 'East meets West' fusion of
Chinese and Western music as part of Chamber Music New Zealand's 2005 season.
The members of the group are three quarters Chinese and one quarter American. Since their last visit in 1998, they have
welcomed a new cellist, Nicholas Tzavaras. Nicholas's mother's East Harlem Violin Project was dramatised in the 1999
film "Music of the Heart", featuring Meryl Streep, Gloria Estefan and Angela Bassett.
This is not the first time the quartet have dabbled in the film industry. In 1979 violinist Weigang Li appeared in the
Academy Award-winning documentary "From Mao to Mozart: Isaac Stern in China". The quartet also make an appearance in the
latest Woody Allen film "Melinda and Melinda", to be released in New Zealand later this year.
The Shanghai Quartet are known worldwide for their passionate musicality and multicultural innovation. The group's
concerts will feature works by Shostakovich, Brahms and Beethoven alongside Chinese folk songs. Second violinist, Yi-Wen
Jiang has arranged Chinese melodies, titled ChinaSong, which reflect his childhood memories of the Chinese Cultural
Revolution (1966 – 1976),
"Through music, Chinese people always seemed able to find, and express their own happiness, sorrow, love, hope and
things to cherish. I grew up with many of these pieces, and played some of them as solo works for violin and piano
during the difficult days of the Cultural Revolution. The melodies are so beautiful and quite moving", says Yi-Wen. "I
tried to blend the simplicity of an eastern melody with the complex, lush sounds of the string quartet, with the intent
that Chinese music can be thoroughly enjoyed and performed internationally."
There will also be a rare opportunity to see the musicians working with some of New Zealand’s finest musicians when the
quartet give masterclasses in Wellington. The masterclasses will be held at the Hunter Council Chamber at Victoria
University of Wellington on Sunday 19 June at 6pm. Entry is $10.
The quartet have fond memories of their last visit to New Zealand and are looking forward to returning. "New Zealand was
truly one of the most beautiful places the quartet has toured in the last 21 years and we have been touring in about
twenty countries", says Yi-Wen. "Fantastic landscape, great food and warm people ... New Zealand is one of my favourite
countries to visit and play concerts."
Chamber Music New Zealand acknowledges major funding from Creative New Zealand.
ENDS
SHANGHAI QUARTET IN CONCERT
Napier - Friday 17 June, Century Theatre
Wellington - Saturday 18 June, Wellington Town Hall
Dunedin - Monday 20 June, Glenroy Auditorium
Christchurch - Tuesday 21 June, James Hay Theatre
Auckland - Wednesday 22 June, Auckland Town Hall
All concerts at 8pm
SHANGHAI QUARTET PROGRAMME
Programme 1 (Napier, Christchurch & Auckland)
SHOSTAKOVICH : String Quartet No 3 in F Opus 73
JIANG : Selections from ChinaSong
BRAHMS : String Quartet in A minor Opus 51 No 2
Programme 2 (Wellington & Dunedin)
BEETHOVEN : String Quartet in B flat Opus 18 No 6
JIANG : Selections from ChinaSong
BEETHOVEN : String Quartet in C sharp minor Opus 131
ABOUT THE SHANGHAI QUARTET
Weigang Li, violin, Yi-Wen Jiang, violin, Honggang Li, viola & Nicholas Tzavaras, cello.
The Shanghai Quartet formed in China at the Shanghai Conservatory in 1983 and are now based in the United States. The
quartet strive to thrill and satisfy their audiences with passionate and engaging performances, while being true to the
composer's intentions.
The Shanghai Quartet feature brothers Honggang and Weigang Li, who find that being siblings who work together is an
advantage. "Like probably any other siblings or couples working in the same touring ensemble, we have our great
advantages such as knowing each other so well and disadvantages such as knowing each other too well", says Weigang. "The
good thing is we all know it and most of the time we use it as our advantage!"
The ensemble are known for their passionate musicality, brilliant technique, and multicultural innovation. The quartet
aim to present an elegant meld of Eastern music with Western repertoire, performed to the highest artistic standard.
"I think we really believe that the greatest kind of music making happens when the performers are putting great
composer's intention and music itself before their own. That is not to say it might lack personal involvement or
individuality; on the contrary, because the performers become the true interpreter and recreate great music's original
spiritual dimension, the printed music finally comes back alive and sounds absolutely convincing. That is what Shanghai
Quartet constantly tries to achieve." - Yi-Wen Jiang, Shanghai Quartet
The quartet celebrated their 20th Anniversary in 2003 with a "Beethoven Project: East Meets West", performing the
complete Beethoven quartet cycle in China. This was the first time the Beethoven cycle was performed in China.
The quartet currently serve as the quartet-in-residence at Montclair State University in New Jersey, performing and
coaching chamber music and individual lessons. They are guest professors at the Shanghai Conservatory in China, and
recently completed 13 years in residence at the University of Richmond. The quartet also coach the students of the New
York Youth Symphony.
The group are looking forward to bringing cellist Nicholas Tzavaras to New Zealand for the first time.
"The three of us knew Nick was the one after we had played together for the first time for about three minutes. He had
all the things the quartet was looking for: beauty of tone and phrasing, wide range of dynamics and colours, among many
other quality" says the quartet's violinist, Weigang Li. "This is our fifth season with Nick already, and we all know
the quartet has never sounded better."
ends
MEDIA QUOTES
"The Shanghai has a warm, wonderfully full-bodied sound, and the particular musical personality of each of the players
is allowed to be heard."
The Denver Post
"The whole performance was superb...providing glowing solos and the slow movement rising to poetic heights."
The New York Times
"They punctuated sections with such captivating pauses that one dared not breathe until the music resumed. With balanced
amounts of wit and drama, the quartet allowed [Haydn's] compositional genius to emerge..."
The Washington Post
"The Shanghai cohesively blends the music's pulsing rhythms and thrusting figurations with intelligence and grace."
The New York Times
"On just about every technical count - intonation, phrasing, instrumental balance, choice of tempo - the Shanghai's
Beethoven was spot-on."
Richmond Times
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