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ExxonMobil Vision Zhu Lin & Colleen Lee Cello & Piano Duo 5 17.3.

2 ExxonMobil Vision Zhu Lin & Colleen Lee Cello & Piano Duo Concert Hall Hong Kong City Hall Running time: approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes with a 15 minute interval Biographies Programme Programme Notes An interview with Zhu Lin and Colleen Lee All photographs The Blue Hydrant (Leo Yu) To make this performance a pleasant experience for the artists and other members of the audience, PLEASE switch off your alarm watches, MOBILE PHONES and PAGERS. Eating and drinking, unauthorised photography and audio or video recording are forbidden in the auditorium. Thank you for your cooperation.

3 10 Biographies

4 11 Zhu Lin Cello Born in Shanghai in 1980, Zhu Lin attended the Shanghai Conservatory of Music for cello studies. Aged 15, she continued her studies at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts on a full scholarship and obtained her Bachelor s degree at the Juilliard School on the Benjamin and Hadassah Michtom Scholarship. She is currently studying with Joel Krosnick for her Master s degree. Zhu is the recipient of various globally recognised prizes, including 2nd prize at the 2001 International Artist Competition, and 1st prize at the 2003 Juilliard Cello Concerto Competition and the National Cello Competition of China. As a soloist, Zhu has appeared with several renowned orchestras including the Juilliard Orchestra, China Philharmonic Orchestra, the Hong Kong Philharmonic, the Budapest Symphony Orchestra, the Ulster Symphony Orchestra and the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra. She has performed at the Avery Fisher and Alice Tully Halls at the Lincoln Center, and the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall. She has also toured with Seattle s Academy Chamber Orchestra to various European countries. Colleen Lee Piano Born in Hong Kong, Colleen Lee trained locally at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts from the age of seven, under the tutelage of Eleanor Wong. Since 2003, she has been studying with Professor Arie Vardi at the University for Music and Theatre in Hanover, Germany, on scholarships from the Hong Kong Jockey Club Music & Dance Fund and Bernard Van Zuidan. In 2005, Lee won 6th prize (the only female laureate) at the 15th Frederick Chopin International Piano Competition. She also received the Pro Musicis International Award as well as the 3rd place and Critic and Audience Prizes at the 15th International Competition for Piano and Orchestra in Cantú, Italy, in the same year. As a frequent performer in Hong Kong and abroad, Lee has participated in festivals throughout Europe. She has also performed extensively in Asia, Europe and the US. As a soloist, she has collaborated with noted international orchestras including the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra and the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra, among others.

5 Programme 13 ( ) G12 WoO45 ( ) A Ludwig van Beethoven ( ) 12 Variations on a Theme from Handel s Judas Maccabaeus in G major, WoO45 César Franck ( ) Sonata in A major Allegretto ben moderato Allegro Recitativo-Fantasia: ben moderato; Molto lento Allegretto poco mosso interval (1966- ) (1908- ) ( ) C 3 CT148 Melissa Hui (1966- ) Exile Elliott Carter (1908- ) Sonata for cello and piano Moderato Vivace, molto leggiero Adagio Allegro Fryderyk Chopin ( ) Introduction and Polonaise Brillante for cello and piano in C major, Op 3, CT148 Festival Plus Meet-the-Artists (Post-Performance) If you would like to meet Zhu Lin and Colleen Lee, please stay behind in the auditorium after the performance. Masterclass Zhu Lin :00-1:00 11:00am-1:00pm 8 8/F, Hong Kong City Hall Ticket required Co-presented with Hong Kong International Cello Association For details, please go to the Festival website

6 14 Programme Notes G12 WoO45 Ludwig van Beethoven 12 Variations on a Theme from Handel s Judas Maccabaeus in G major, WoO45 While we recognise Beethoven as an immortal composer, to his peers he was famed as one of the greatest pianists in the world. The fact that he usually played his own compositions was secondary to the fact that like great jazz musicians of our own day he could improvise endlessly on any melody. Thus, Beethoven could take an elementary waltz by a nobleman and perform variations for almost an hour (what we now know as the Diabelli Variations ). His genius was transforming the theme, giving it a unique character, and in this, the melody would migrate from the hand of the original composer with the musical imagination of the performer. Add to this his love of cello, an instrument which had previously been used mainly as accompaniment to the piano or violin what we call the basso continuo. So when Beethoven was travelling through Europe, he discovered that the King of Prussia was an amateur cellist, and he had employed a virtuoso cellist, Jean Louis Duport. Beethoven, ever hungry for money (but doubtless inspired) was commissioned to write for the instrument, first two sonatas and then two sets of variations. Using a Handel aria was rather daring, since the composer then was regarded as an old fogey. But Beethoven always admired Handel (he said that Handel was his favourite composer), so he chose this heroic piece from a relatively popular Handel oratorio, Judas Maccabeus, and turned it into a delicious series of 12 variations. We must remember again that the cello was rarely used for solos, so the original theme is initially presented for piano, with cello providing a few figurations. Slowly the piece wanders on, the cello taking a more prominent role, with virtuoso embellishments. But it doesn t take a commanding presence until the penultimate variation a beautiful adagio and a rather skittish allegro to finish the work.

7 15 A César Franck Sonata in A major The son of a Belgian coal-miner, Franck studied in Paris, where he remained throughout his life as an esteemed teacher and organist. Yet he didn t begin serious composition until he was 53 years old, inspired by his young Irish mistress. The results were works passionate, serene and often spiritual, as was Franck himself. In 1886, he wrote a violin sonata as a wedding gift for virtuoso Eugène Ysaÿe, and it was so popular at the time (though Brahms and the German musical establishment scorned it), that he later transcribed the work for cello and for flute. In all three versions, it shows his very original unique traits. First, the keys of the sonata don t show any particular form, but skip around without any preparation. Secondly, Franck never knew how to develop a good theme, unlike Mozart, Brahms and Beethoven. Instead, he repeats his themes, adding tensions, changing keys, and bringing back important melodies throughout a work, what he called cyclic composition. The first movement begins with a dreamy introduction, followed by the cello playing a theme which is heard throughout the composition. Even in this movement, the theme becomes rhapsodic and passionate. It doesn t change at all, but simply becomes more expressive. The second movement is more tempestuous, with the cello (said one critic) joining the piano like a small boat wavering amidst a storm-ridden sea. The storm subsides in the middle but returns, not with violence but sheer physical vitality. Following this is a kind of meditation on previous themes, a musical dream. Though, nothing is dreamy about the last movement. The form is like an 18th century canon, with cello and piano repeating themselves, playing the tune four times. It goes back and forth from major to minor, and finally with a repeat of the very first theme of the work, Franck finishes with full-blown passion. interval

8 17 Melissa Hui Exile 2007 Commissioned by the 2007 Hong Kong Arts Festival for its premiere, Exile is a condition of being, an expression of longing and a search for home. It is a meditation on the comforts of life which bring solace in strange, faraway lands. Composer Biography Melissa Hui was born in Hong Kong and raised in Vancouver, Canada. She received her degrees from the California Institute of the Arts and Yale University. Initially inspired by African pygmies and Japanese Gagaku Court Orchestras, she creates personal music of ethereal beauty, intimate lyricism and raucous violence. Her works have been commissioned and/or performed by international ensembles, including the American Composers Orchestra in Carnegie Hall, Oregon Symphony, National Arts Centre Orchestra, and many more. The recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, Hui was on the composition faculty at Stanford University from before moving to Montreal where she now resides.

9 Programme Notes 19 Elliott Carter Sonata for cello and piano At the ripe young age of 98, Elliott Carter is still a very visible fixture of the New York concert scene, with a language which is complex, ever changing and ever original. His influences encompass the entire 20th century, from his one-time teacher, Charles Ives, to Schönberg, Stravinsky, American jazz, and the exotic music of Asia and Africa. But with Carter, even in this relatively early work composed when he was 40, one can, with an open ear and open mind, begin to understand that his language turned those eclectic influences into tough, intellectually challenging music. Carter made significant breakthroughs here. He was intrigued by flexible rhythms in Balinese and Indian music. He had discovered metric modulation, where rhythms, rather than melody, project the work forward. Carter works here with complex combinations of melody, harmony and tempos. Finally, the work is held together as the ending notes of one movement are changed to the beginning of the next. The first movement has both instruments going in different directions until they meet in the middle, and then fade way into their individual fragments at the end. You can hear this immediately, where the piano keeps very strict time in walking measures, while the cello seems to go off on its own. The Vivace uses these same cells, but the rhythms are close to Gershwin-style pop and jazz. The central section becomes more moody, impassioned, and the change at the end is unsettling. The Adagio is in four sections, each one giving the two instruments opposing sounds, textures and moods, with the final cello bars echoed by the piano in the last movement. Here, four different rhythms intersect and materials from the first three movements are transformed. Unlike the opening, though, the cello keeps strict time, while the piano has a psychological looseness, rising up to a peak and coming down to an unexpectedly soft landing.

10 21 C 3 Fryderyk Chopin Introduction and Polonaise Brillante for cello and piano in C major, Op 3 19 The notion of Chopin as a composer only of piano music is not quite true. Yes, his piano solos are his most brilliant works and even the concertos sound like piano solos with a bit of orchestra thrown in. But Chopin also wrote some wonderful songs, and rarely, works for piano and solo instrument. Notable was the cello. His very last work was a sonata for cello and piano, and he performed it a few days before his death. Much earlier, though, at 19 years old, he fell in love with Wanda, the daughter of Prince Anton Radziwill while staying on the vast estates of the nobleman. Wanda was a very talented pianist, and Chopin wrote to his family: She is very young and pretty. It is a joy to guide her dainty fingers. Since her father was an amateur cellist, Chopin wrote his very first full-scale polonaise here, later dismissing this effort, calling it nothing but glitter, a salon piece for ladies. That doesn t end the story. Two years later, Chopin worked with the distinguished Viennese cellist Joseph Merk, and wrote: We must produce something good, since I admire him so much. So Chopin took the glittering polonaise and added this stately elaborate introduction, with much virtuoso work for Chopin the soloist! The Polonaise (what Chopin called Alla Polaca, and which his publisher called The Gaiety ) was not invented by Chopin, but dates back to the 13th century, and was probably a stately processional piece rather than a dance. Under Chopin s genius, the Polonaise was slightly more danceable, written in waltz time, but with a syncopated bounce. Franz Liszt explained its popularity. Chopin s work never recalls the mincing hackneyed polonaises of ballroom orchestras. Energetic in rhythm, they startle and galvanise us from indifference, calling to mind ancient Poles who were devout, witty, gallant and brave. Programme Notes by Harry Rolnick

11 28 Interview : : : : :

12 29 : : : : : : Colleen : : Colleen : : Colleen Colleen :

13 30 Interview An interview with Zhu Lin and Colleen Lee Z : L : Hong Kong Arts Festival Zhu Lin Colleen Lee As an up and coming young musician, what does playing on stage or taking part in a competition mean to you? Z: Performance and competition are, for me, both ways of honing myself; both can help raise my level of competence. I feel that in the present period I prefer performing because it helps me more with regard to my playing. L: To me, a performance is a test. On stage, I can use what I ve been learning every day, while at the same time, I must also draw on my ability to adapt. This means that it is a sort of enjoyment. In a way, a competition is also a performance. It can also serve to improve one s playing and broaden one s vision. The difference is that it can t be described as enjoyable. You are both, not only the same age, but have undergone similar learning processes. Both of you began young and both went abroad for further studies after graduating from the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA). You have both achieved outstanding results. What is the secret behind your success? Z: I feel that I am far from achieving my goal. Right now, all I can say is that I am heading in the right direction. Any success requires one hundred percent effort and a bit of luck. I am very grateful to my Hong Kong teacher, Professor Ray Wang, in this respect. Without him, I would have found it difficult to achieve what I have. Also, many people have helped me along the way as I studied music. There are many elements behind any success. At the moment I am only in the stage of exploration. L: Actually, I must first thank Professor Eleanor Wong and the HKAPA. The Professor laid down a fine foundation for me and taught me an appreciation of music; the HKAPA brought me opportunity and support. Up to now, I can t speak of success because any true results still await continued effort and experiences. Every bit of achievement is counted as encouragement and impetus. There s still a long way to go. Have you emulated any other musicians as your model? How would you determine your own performing style? Z: I did when I was younger. As I grew older, I very much hoped to find my unique style. I only wish to base my performances on a respect for the composer and then inject my own understanding of the music. I feel that a good performer can only interpret the style of any work and then use this as a foundation to add my own understanding of the work. I want to use my music to move the audience because I have found the best in the music and I want to present this best to everyone. L: In my younger days, I always felt certain master musicians were formidable, but I never tried to imitate them because I knew that even if I took them as models, the results would not necessary be very natural, nor would I be able to fathom what made them tick. A successful artist is sure to have his own performing style, but it takes time to bring it out through life experiences and unending thought processes. New experiences always bring room for inspiration and expression to me. I think that any music that can reach out to the listener, whatever the style of the music may be, is bound to be good music.

14 31 What plans do you have for the development of your own career in music? Z: I hope that my music career will be versatile. This is why I want to try out different types of music. Solo recitals are one type, but it s not the one and only type. Chamber music making is also very attractive to me. In the US over the past few years, I have been exposed to all sort of works of music, many of which I liked very much. I hope that in the future I ll be able to play more contemporary works. L: I hope to be an all-round performer; that is, to be able to develop both as a solo player and as a chamber musician. I also hope to perform more contemporary music because new experiences always bring room for inspiration and expression to me. Performing is also one form of the creative process. This will be your first performance as a duo. What considerations did you have when you chose the pieces to perform? Z: Because this is the first time for me to play in a duo in Hong Kong, we had many thoughts about the programme choices. We hoped to introduce some new works to the Hong Kong audience. L: We wanted the audience to feel something new, and we wanted to bring to them something different. Did you find it difficult to work with each other? Z: Colleen and I worked together when we were at HKAPA, so we understand each other very well. In these past few years, we have both been studying abroad and we ve both got older. I very much look forward to the present collaboration knowing we work well together. I am very a grateful to the Hong Kong Arts Festival for providing us with this opportunity. We are looking forward to playing together and hope to present Hong Kong with our best. L: I didn t think there would be anything difficult in our cooperation. When we were young, we often worked with each other, and there was always a certain degree of understanding and acceptance. Today, we are more experienced performers with a greater maturity, so I know we can play well together. We also hope to take the audience on a wondrous musical journey. What do you feel is different from playing as a duo rather than in solo performance? Do you have to make some adjustments? Z: Playing chamber music is very different from playing a solo recital. Chamber music stresses cooperation; it blends the musical understanding of two individuals. I feel that playing chamber music requires spiritual interaction; the slightest change will affect your partner(s). We have played together so often in the past that I feel very confident about the present partnership. Based on this, we can also give each other different ideas. L: When playing with others, what is most important is to have spiritual interaction and communication with your partner or partners. In a solo performance, one can interpret freely without considering others, but in a chamber group, there must be a spirit of very close cooperation. Each person may have their own concepts, but must work together to achieve the most brilliant results. What hopes do you have for this concert? Z: I hope to bring the latest music to the Hong Kong audience. Music is a type of enjoyment and I hope that while Colleen and I are enjoying our collaboration, the audience will also enjoy our music. While Colleen and I are enjoying our performance, I hope this comes across to the audience. L: I hope that this present cooperation with Zhu Lin will bring the Hong Kong audience great pleasure and that we will be able to showcase the attractions of chamber music. I express my deepest gratitude to the Hong Kong Arts Festival for giving us this opportunity. I have great hopes for this concert! Translated by Pan Shih* * Pan Shih passed away on 3 February The Festival remembers her with great fondness and appreciation.

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