Programme:
Ennio Morricone: Al Santo Sepolcro from Marco Polo
Tan Dun: Concerto for String Orchestra and Pipa
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Felix Mendelsshon Bartholdy: Symphony No. 4 in A major, Op. 90, “Italian”

The pipa is a Chinese plucked string instrument that is considered the queen of Chinese traditional music. It appeared in the period of the Qin dynasty and developed during the Han dynasty, which means that musicians have been playing it for more than 2,000 years. Its repertoire covers both Chinese traditional music and works by contemporary composers that show both Chinese and Western influences. The latter category includes the colourful Concerto for String Orchestra and Pipa  by the Chinese-born American composer Tan Dun, the winner of an Academy Award for his film score for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,  who was also the conductor of the opening concerts of the 63rd Ljubljana Festival. The pipa will be at the heart of a programme that also includes music by Ennio Morricone from the television series Marco Polo  and Mendelssohn’s “Italian”  Symphony, performed by the Ningbo Symphony Orchestra. Founded in 2015, this ensemble has quickly become one of China’s leading orchestras, thanks to successful concerts of predominantly Romantic music both at home and in Europe. It will be led by its chief conductor Ji Yu, who is also an assistant conductor of the China Philharmonic Orchestra and a tireless promoter of contemporary Chinese music. The soloist will be Yuanchun Yu, a teacher of the pipa at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, who has appeared at some of the biggest concert halls in the world, including in New York and Berlin.

• an impressive array of acclaimed musicians have performed with the Ningbo Symphony Orchestra, including the pianist Lang Lang, who appeared at the Ljubljana Festival in 2022
• Yuanchun Yu was a soloist with the China National Orchestra from 2011 to 2018
• she plays the pipa with the UNESCO-sponsored Melody for Dialogue among Civilizations Association
• she gave her first solo pipa recital in 2001 at the age of 16, when she was the youngest musician at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing
• Ji Yu studied composition at New York University with Pulitzer Prize winner Julia Wolfe and acclaimed composer Justin Dello Joio