November 21 — Tan Dun’s “Ghost Opera” and other works
Tan Dun may be China’s most important composer of classical music … you know his sounds from the film “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.” “Ghost Opera” is much better, a real treat for lovers of music of all genres.
When: Friday November 21
Where: Indianapolis Museum of Art’s Tobias Theatre
Purchase tickets at www.violin.org or by calling 317-637-4574. Members $17 / Public $25 / Seniors $17 / Students $10. From the IMA’s blurb:
Be the first to experience the new Tobias Theater at this concert featuring internationally renowned artists Cho-Liang Lin (violin) and Xiao-Fen Min (pipa). The performance includes music from both Western and Chinese classical and contemporary traditions. The second portion of the concert is “Ghost Opera,” a five-movement work for string quartet and pipa with special sound effects made by water, metal, stones, and paper. Composed by the boundary-breaking composer Tan Dun, “Ghost Opera” combines European traditions with Chinese shadow puppet theater, visual art, folk music, and East Asian shamanic ritual. Co-presented by the International Violin Competition of Indianapolis.
Why does Provocate think you should attend this event?
If it was just going to be a performance of Tan Dun’s work, it would be worth attending. More than anyone else right now, Tan Dun is creatively mining the intersection of serious and popular (e.g. film score) music, Classical Western and traditional Chinese genres. Go to hear Tan Dun performed.
But also go to hear the two soloists. Taiwan-born Cho-Liang Lin is one of the world’s finest violinists, currently the head of La Jolla’s SummerFest. See a video about Lin here:
Provocate is most excited about the pipa player Xiao-Fen Min. In addition to being the world’s leading player of this traditional Chinese instrument, she is a remarkable avant-garde composer and performer. Watch this:
If you think this sounds interesting, be sure to check out …
You can hear cross-fertilization between the worlds of different continents when composer Gabreiela Lena Frank and others perform “Spanish Song Project” at the University of Indianapolis September 18. More traditional Chinese music (prepared for easy digestion by Western consumers) can be heard at Clowes on September 12 with the Silk & Bamboo performers of Jiangsu; and the Peking Opera performs at the International Festival November 20-23. More importantly, use music & cultural events like this to partake in the serious (and fun) conversdations about the changing ties linking Indiana and China: for instance October 30 Midwest novelist Lan Samantha Chang sensitively portrays Chinese American expriences.
Know before you go:
Here’s a good profile of Tan Dun.
