JUILLIARD ORCHESTRA TO TOUR PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA WITH CONDUCTOR ZHANG XIAN AND STUDENT SOLOISTS BARITONE SHEN YANG, AND PRE-COLLEGE PIANISTS PENG PENG AND CONRAD TAO MAY 26 – JUNE 6, 2008

The Juilliard Orchestra returns to the People’s Republic of China to give concerts in Beijing and Shanghai twenty-one years after their first visit, and will include a performance in Suzhou, as well as master classes at the main conservatories in Beijing and Shanghai by Juilliard faculty members oboist Elaine Douvas, pianist Yoheved Kaplinsky, Juilliard President, bassoonist Joseph W. Polisi, and Juilliard String Quartet 1st violinist Joel Smirnoff.  New York Philharmonic Associate Conductor Zhang Xian, an alumna of Beijing’s Central Conservatory of Music, will lead the orchestra in all three cities.  Citi is sponsoring the Shanghai leg of the tour which includes two orchestra concerts, a chamber music program, and three master classes at Shanghai Conservatory of Music.

    Three Juilliard young artists will be soloists throughout the tour.  They are pianists Conrad Tao, age 13, and Peng Peng, age 15 – both of them students in Juilliard’s Pre-College Division – and 23-year-old baritone Shen Yang, advanced Artist Diploma student in the School’s Juilliard Opera Center, young artist of the Metropolitan Opera’s Lindemann Young Artist Development program, and winner of the 2007 BBC vocal competition known in the UK as Cardiff Singer of the World. They are among the approximately 4 – 4.5% of the extraordinarily talented Juilliard student body at both the college and pre-college level who come from the People’s Republic of China, their numbers growing each academic year since 1995.

    According to Juilliard President Joseph W. Polisi, “I am thrilled that the Juilliard Orchestra will be returning to China after 21 years.  I believe deeply in the positive experiences that Juilliard and our Chinese colleagues will realize through a cultural exchange presentation like this.  We hope that the artistry of our orchestra will allow an American institution to share its values with the people of China, whether they are students, music faculty members or the general public.  The young artists in our orchestra will also benefit enormously from being able to visit China and to learn of its culture and traditions.”  Dr. Polisi has been involved in the planning of the tour performances and the educational visits to both Beijing’s Central Conservatory of Music and Shanghai’s Conservatory of Music. A bassoonist with advanced degrees from Yale and Paris Conservatoire, Dr. Polisi will give a chamber music master class to woodwind players in Beijing.

    "Citi is proud to be associated with the Shanghai leg of the Juilliard Orchestra's tour of China.  As an active supporter of the arts in China, we are very pleased to be able to use our global resources to make such an outstanding artistic experience available to Chinese audiences. We are also delighted to be supporting the master classes being conducted by Juilliard to help music students in Shanghai reach their full potential," said Huang Xiaoguang, President of Citibank (China) Co., Ltd.

    Departing Monday, May 26, three days after Juilliard’s 103nd commencement, the 93-member orchestra gives their first concerts in Beijing’s newly-opened National Centre for Performing Arts on the evenings of Friday and Saturday, May 30 and 31, featuring works by Leonard Bernstein, Prokofiev, Berlioz, Chen Yi, Beethoven, Brahms and Rachmaninoff. Juilliard Pre-College pianist Conrad Tao is soloist in Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Major. (Complete program details are listed on the attached itinerary.)

    The Beijing performances are highlighted by a Concert of Friendship on Sunday evening, June 1 in which the Juilliard Orchestra will share the NCPA stage with the student orchestra from Beijing’s Central Conservatory of Music.  Their conductor, Yu Feng, leads the Juilliard Orchestra in performances of Xian Xinghai’s famed Yellow River Concerto and a String Symphony by Hua Yanjun entitled The Moon Reflected in the Erquan Pond. Juilliard’s conductor Zhang Xian leads Central Conservatory Orchestra in the Variations on America by Charles Ives as arranged by William Schuman, and George Gershwin’s An American in Paris, before the combined orchestral forces perform a conductor-less finale, the ‘Farandole’ from Bizet’s L’Arlésienne Suite No. 2.  The Concert of Friendship is part of the Cultural Olympiad, an extensive series of arts performances and exhibitions, a companion to the upcoming sports Olympiad. It is one of two Juilliard participations in the cultural series. In addition to friendship, the concert reunites mentor and pupil; Mr. Yu was Ms. Zhang’s teacher while at the conservatory. A Friendship Reception for participating orchestra members, US and Chinese conservatory faculty and administrators, and American and Chinese officials follows the performance.

    The Juilliard Orchestra’s next performance takes place in Suzhou on Tuesday, June 3, at the new Suzhou Science and Cultural Arts Centre that opened in October 2007.  Located two hours from Shanghai, the area is home to more than 2 million people, and a global array of Fortune 500 companies. Juilliard baritone Shen Yang joins the program singing the Cavatina from Aleko by Rachmaninoff, and the orchestra repeats works from their Beijing performances – Bernstein’s Overture to Candide, and Berlioz’ Symphony fantastique – as well as the Prokofiev concerto featuring Mr. Tao.  The same concert is performed the following evening, Wednesday, June 4, the first of two appearances by the orchestra at Shanghai Grand Theatre.  The Juilliard Orchestra gives their farewell performance in the People’s Republic on Thursday evening, June 5, in the Shanghai Grand Theatre, repeating their Beijing repertory from May 31:  Chen Yi’s Ge Yu (Antiphony), Beethoven’s Symphony No. 4 in B-Flat, Op. 60, and Brahms’ Symphony No. 2 in D, Op. 73.  They fly home to New York the following day.

    Also included in Juilliard’s tour schedule are two press conferences – in Beijing on Wednesday, May 28 at 2 PM, at the National Centre, and at Shanghai Grand Theatre on Monday, June 3 at 10 AM, an event that will include performances by two of the soloists – Conrad Tao and Shen Yang. For more press information about either press conference please contact Juilliard Communications (01) (212) 721-0965; Communications@juilliard.edu.  After May 26 please contact Hong Zhang Mautz in the People’s Republic at 137-1890-6546.

    Alongside Juilliard’s theater performances, members of the orchestra are joined by Juilliard faculty and administrators giving master classes and chamber music performances at the country’s two major conservatories in Beijing and Shanghai. Three Juilliard faculty members, all of whom have taught internationally, will be offering master classes to advanced students at China’s premiere conservatories – the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, and the Shanghai Conservatory of Music.  The head of Juilliard’s Piano Department, and Director of the Juilliard Pre-College Division, Yoheved Kaplinsky, gives master classes to pianists from Central Conservatory on Thursday afternoon, May 29, in the rehearsal hall at the National Center of Performing Arts, and teaches pianists at Shanghai Conservatory of Music on Thursday morning, June 5.

    Oboist Elaine Douvas, faculty member at Juilliard since 1997 and principal oboist of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra since 1977, will teach as many as eight young artists at the Central Conservatory on Friday afternoon, May 30, and at Shanghai Conservatory on Wednesday afternoon, June 4.

    First violinist of the Juilliard String Quartet and chairman of Juilliard’s violin department, Joel Smirnoff, will give two-hour masterclasses to young violinists from Central Conservatory in the rehearsal hall at the National Center for Performing Arts on Saturday afternoon, May 31 and at Shanghai Conservatory Tuesday afternoon, June 3.

    Juilliard President Joseph W. Polisi coaches a woodwind quintet master class on Saturday afternoon, May 31. The specific focus of the two-hour workshop will be Hindemith’s challenging Kleine Kammermusik.

    On Monday, June 2 Juilliard chamber musicians highlight the music of centenarian Elliott Carter when they perform at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music.  The performance includes Carter’s Eight Etudes and a Fantasy with flutist Emi Ferguson, oboist Nicholas Stovall, clarinetist Moran Katz, and bassoonist Benjamin Moermond; his Scrivo in Vento, a work for solo flute performed by Ms. Ferguson; and the solo clarinet piece Gra,  performed by Ms. Katz. Liszt’s Spanish Rhapsody and the Andantino and Presto sections from Rachmaninoff’s Moments musicaux will be performed by pianist Conrad Tao; Ravel’s String Quartet closes the program, performed by violinists Ross Snyder and Arianna Warsaw-Fan, violist Geoffrey Hamlyn, and cellist Emily Brausa.

THE PERFORMERS  

Complete bios of the performers and master teachers are available by contacting Communications@Juilliard.edu or may be downloaded at www.juilliard.edu/press.

Zhang Xian has been the New York Philharmonic’s Associate Conductor since 2005 and was Assistant Conductor in the year prior.  She leads numerous Philharmonic performances each season, and returns home from this tour with the Juilliard Orchestra to conduct the Philharmonic’s popular free Concerts in the Parks throughout New York City in July. She has been a guest conductor with major orchestras coast-to-coast in the US and throughout Europe, and has conducted  operas in the UK, Germany, Spain, Italy, and the US.  Born in Dandong, Ms. Zhang holds advanced degrees from Beijing’s Central Conservatory and made her professional conducting debut at the age of 20 leading Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro at Central Opera House.   

13-year-old pianist, composer, and violinist Conrad Tao was born in Urbana, Illinois, and lives in New York with his parents.  His father was originally from Shanghai and still has family living there.  He has studied with Ms. Kaplinsky in Juilliard’s Pre-College Division since 2003, and also studies violin and composition.

23-year-old baritone Shen Yang was born in Tianjin and studied at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music.  After winning the 2007 UK ‘Cardiff Singer of the World’ competition (among several others), he was accepted into the Metropolitan Opera’s Lindemann Young Artist Development Program and The Juilliard School’s Juilliard Opera Center, where he has just completed his first year of study.

Born in Nanjing, 15-year-old pianist Peng Peng has studied with Ms. Kaplinsky in Juilliard’s Pre-College Division since 2002, where he also studies composition.  He has made numerous concert appearances with orchestras across the United States and has appeared on several television and radio programs.

For more than 100 years The Juilliard School has set US standards for performing arts education, its original 1905 classical music division joined by Dance (1951), Drama (1968), and Jazz (2001). Young artists from across all 50 states and approximately 50 foreign countries may reach for their dreams, mentored by one of the world’s most expert faculties. Juilliard presents 700 dance, drama, and music performances each season. The School’s young artists perform frequently throughout New York City, and have toured the United States, Europe, Asia, and South America. Juilliard’s alumni shape the classical and popular arts worldwide, having been molded in one of the most supportive training grounds in the world. Located in the heart of New York City, the School’s Lincoln Center home has five theaters, specialty rehearsal halls, centers for music technology and writing/communication, full costume and scenic production facilities, plus an arts library that houses the priceless Juilliard Manuscript Collection. The School’s residence hall and its newly-renovated main building overlook famed Broadway.

    The orchestra’s first tour of the People’s Republic of China took place in 1987, part of a schedule that included concerts and conservatory visits in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, as well as Japan and Hong Kong.  Sponsored by the China Performing Arts Agency, Juilliard was the first conservatory to celebrate the re-opening of the People’s Republic, conducted by Stanislaw Skrowaczewski.  The touring violin soloist, playing the Bartok Second Concerto was a then-17-year-old Wang Xiaodong – as student at Juilliard from a respected Shanghai musical family.  Greeted by enthusiastic audiences throughout the country, a reviewer for the China Daily said of their performances, “Though the orchestra was made up of students at the Juilliard School whose age ranges from 17 to 29, their performance was as accomplished as that of any good professional orchestra.  They were warm, energetic and lively in their performance…. The superb technique and fine musical sense of each individual member was particularly impressive.”

THE MASTER TEACHERS

Master teacher Elaine Douvas, is principal oboe of the Metropolitan Opera in New York, where she has served for 30 years One of the best-known teachers in the US, Ms. Douvas has served as oboe instructor at The Juilliard School for twenty-five years and as Woodwind Department chairperson for the past ten.  Her students hold important positions in more than a dozen major orchestras and university faculties. Ms. Douvas gives master classes throughout the US and her teaching materials, comprising demonstrations and commentary, are used by teachers and students across the country.

Yoheved Kaplinsky is currently the chairperson of the Piano Department at The Juilliard School in New York, and since 2007 is director of Juilliard’s Pre-College division as well.  She served on the faculties of the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore and the Manhattan School of Music before becoming a member of the Juilliard piano faculty in 1993. She holds master and doctoral degrees from Juilliard, and in addition to being much in demand as a guest teacher, has appeared as a recitalist throughout the world.

Joseph W. Polisi is a bassoonist and the sixth president of The Juilliard School, appointed to that position in September 1984 after holding positions at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, the Manhattan School of Music, and the Yale University School of Music.  A frequent speaker on arts topics, author, fundraiser, and classroom teacher, Dr. Polisi still finds time each season to perform chamber music when possible, and sits in the Juilliard Orchestra as a performer at least once each season. His twenty-four years as President of Juilliard have ushered in many exciting changes for the conservatory, including the creation of a jazz department, increased touring for the School’s ensembles, and the current large-scale renovation and addition to the Juilliard building.

Violinist Joel Smirnoff joined the Juilliard String Quartet in 1986 and became their first violinist in 1997. He has served on the chamber music faculty of The Juilliard School since 1986 and the violin faculty since 1989, becoming chairman of the Violin Department in 1997. In recent seasons, Mr. Smirnoff also has conducted orchestras throughout the United States. In addition to Mr. Smirnoff’s classical music performances and recordings, he has appeared frequently with Tony Bennett in concert on and on TV, and can be heard on Mr. Bennett’s jazz recordings and DVD.