The Zhuhai Youth Symphony Orchestra (ZHYO) held a classical music performance themed “summer profusion” at the Huafa & CPAA Grand Theatre on August 19, in the hope of providing musical enjoyment again after the recent COVID-19 pandemic outbreak in Zhuhai and Macau, according to a statement by the orchestra last week.
One of the conductors – Zhu Wukun – spoke to The Macau Post Daily in an exclusive interview online last week to share his experience of making music with young musicians. Zhu is a bassoonist of the Macao Orchestra (MO). He joined the Zhuhai Youth Symphony Orchestra (ZHYO) four years ago and since then has been teaching bassoon, as well as writing scores and conducting for the wind section of the youth orchestra.
According to the statement, besides performing as an orchestra, the young musicians also formed trios, quartets, wind and string ensembles during the concert which attracted thunderous applause from the audience. The statement added that despite very limited time for rehearsals, the musicians outperformed themselves on the challenging pieces such as Beethoven’s 5th Symphony and Mozart’s 25th Symphony.
The statement noted that the youth orchestra was founded in 2018, and since then are taught young Zhuhai musicians by professional instructors who have held meticulous training sessions on performing techniques on big stages.
Conducting in a youth orchestra
“On [August] 19, I directed Handel’s Royal Fireworks suite and Josef Strauss’ ‘Ohne Sorgen!’ [German for “No Worries!”], a fast-paced polka. The polka is frequently performed at the Vienna New Year’s Concert and I would like to thank Shi Li [a music teacher] for adapting the piece for the youth orchestra. His adaption is fast and exciting that suited the vigour of the young energetic musicians.
“The impact of the pandemic is devastating to the music industry. Performances are cancelled. People are less willing to buy concert tickets during a weak economy. The music industry requires the support of an advanced and strong economy to thrive, without it, the industry simply crumbles,” Zhu said.
Zhu noted that the pandemic also cut down the rehearsal times to merely three sessions, but he was surprised and grateful that the young musicians held themselves together and performed well.
Zhuhai and Macau
“Zhuhai and Macau have a common feature: both are small cities with relatively small populations. I think having a small population is a fundamental weakness for cultural development. Fortunately, they are developed cities with resources that could be funnelled into music education and performances.
“Nonetheless, as a bassoon teacher, it’s unfortunate that the unpopularity and the high cost of the instrument has put off students from both cities from learning it, but from time to time I still see some potential bassoonists, and I will work hard to tell the cities about this fantastic instrument in the future,” Zhu said.
Zhu underlined that the Art and Education Centre of the Huafa Group has been providing a professional and enthusiastic classical music education to students, with excellent and professional teachers working tirelessly in the Greater Bay Area.
The centre also has a diverse composition of students from Zhuhai, Macau and Hong Kong, which leads to a huge boost for the youth art education in the entire Greater Bay Area (GBA), according to Zhu.
Zhu noted that their next production – Monkey King and Mozart – is an original and highly professional musical theatre, which has crystallised the efforts of those professionals who are working on it.
The statement underlined that the Zhuhai Youth Orchestra is recruiting musicians, and more shows will be coming later. For more information, follow their WeChat account via: http://weixin.qq.com/r/cUgSF8HEjQnxKIV0bx31.
Zhu Wukun conducts young musicians at the Huafa & CPAA Grand Theatre in Zhuhai on August 19, 2022.
The Zhuhai Youth Symphony Orchestra plays Beethoven’s Symphony No.5 at the Huafa & CPAA Grand Theatre in Zhuhai on August 19, 2022. Photos provided by Huafa Group.
