Video artist joins quartet for China Impressions concert   15 Sep 2016

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Video artist joins quartet for China Impressions concert

An exciting new project synthesising video and live music will feature in a concert entitled 'China Impressions' to be given by the well-known Aroha String Quartet at St Andrew's on the Terrace, Wellington, on Sunday 9 October at 7pm.

Video artist Jon He has created dynamic visual images to accompany the contrasting and vibrant movements of "Eight Colours for String Quartet" by Tan Dun, the composer of the music for the movie 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon'.

Jon He recently completed his doctoral studies at Victoria University of Wellington. He is currently the lecturer for Sonic Arts at Yale-NUS College in Singapore.

Jon says of the project "It is a great pleasure to have the opportunity to work with a quartet that performs Chinese compositions with such splendour. While the musicians express and interpret the composer's intentions with sound, there is a lot of room for visual creativity and exploration that fits the music while evoking new thoughts."

Further impressions of China are conveyed in other parts of this varied concert. In 'Eight Chinese Folk Songs', arranger Zhou Long explores the folk music of different regions of China.

Three works evoke aspects of China's history. The 'Song of Emancipation' (Fan Shen Dao Qing) dates from the War of Liberation, while the Revolutionary era is represented by two classic tunes: the stirring musical tale 'The Whitehaired Girl' (Bai Mao Nu) and the song 'Eternal Friendship' (Qing Shen Yi Chang).

The programme also includes one of the most famous and beautiful Chinese tunes, 'Reflection of the moon in the Er-quan spring' (Er Quan Ying Yue), written by blind folk musician Hua Yanjun (also known as A'Bing) in 1949.

The China Impressions concert is supported by the Confucius Institute at Victoria University of Wellington.

Tickets for the concert ($20/$10) can be bought in advance from Eventfinda (service fees apply) or from 6:30pm at the door.

About the Aroha String Quartet

Acclaimed as demonstrating "accomplished brilliance, soulfulness and sublime intensity in perfect balance and tonal unity" (The Dominion Post), the Aroha String Quartet is firmly established as one of New Zealand's finest chamber music ensembles.

Founded in 2004, this versatile Wellington-based quartet is known for its passionate musicality, impressive technique, and multicultural innovation.

In 2009, Haihong Liu, and Zhongxian Jin were joined by well-known New Zealand cellist Robert Ibell. In 2012 Blythe Press joined them as second violin, taking the place of original quartet member, Beiyi Xue. Following Blythe's departure for further study in Europe in 2015 the Quartet is fortunate to be joined by Simeon Broom. For this concert, Simeon will be replaced by NZSO first violinist Anne Loeser.

The Aroha Quartet is committed to presenting string quartet works from western classical and avant-garde repertoire to traditional Chinese folk music, as well as works for larger forces through collaborations with numerous high-profile musicians.

The Aroha Quartet performs regularly around NZ in centres from the Deep South to the Far North. In 2014 they performed five concerts as part of Chamber Music New Zealand's Kaleidoscope series. Overseas trips have seen them participate in the prestigious International Summer Academy in Austria in 2010, give concerts and masterclasses in China in 2010 and 2013, and perform at the Huntington Music Festival in Australia in 2011.

In 2015 the Aroha Quartet ran the inaugural ASQ International Music Academy, a week-long chamber music course. The second ASQ Academy took place in Wellington in August 2016.

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