The leading sheng virtuoso of our time, Wu Wei, will perform at the opening concert of the Porvoo Summer Festival, which will feature the Finnish premiere of Jukka Tiensuu’s Theoton, a concerto for sheng and orchestra. The concert will be conducted by conductor and artistic director of the festival Baldur Brönnimann.
Jukka Tiensuu’s Teoton was composed for Wu Wei in 2015. The work was premiered in Seoul by Ilan Volkov conducting the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra. The work will now be performed for the first time in Finland at the opening concert of the Porvoo Summer Festival on Thursday 27 June 2019 at 19.00 in Avanti Hall. After the concert, we will enjoy improvisations by sound designer and musician Tuomas Norvio and Wu Wei. Avanti! Lounge is free of charge.
Wu Wei will also perform in Pernaja Church on Wednesday 26 June at the concert King Henry VIII meets Emperor Jiajing. The concert will feature songs from 16th and 17th century Europe performed by the Avant gambay ensemble and tenor Taavi Oramo.
The world’s leading sheng master
The sheng is a Chinese or Korean mouth organ made of bamboo, with a sound similar to a harmonica, and belongs to the ancestors of the accordion. According to legend, the sound of the instrument is reminiscent of the cry of a Phoenix bird. Written records of the sheng date back to the 13th century BC.
Sheng has been a player for both the people and the courts. It has been heard at the Beijing Opera and Buddhist ceremonies, as an ensemble and solo instrument. A kind of solemn archaicism characterises the sheng’s character and sound; it is at once a living relic of the past and a strange visitor from the future.
Wu Wei has played a pivotal role in the new role of the sheng as a musical instrument in contemporary Western music. He has premiered over 400 works, including more than 20 concerts. Wu Wei has also composed for his instrument. Wu Wei has brought a new sound to contemporary music that is also thousands of years old. In his hands, the sheng has become a musical instrument that unites East and West, combining traditions.
Programme
Opening concert of the Summer Music Festival: Drakar och danser
Thursday 27.6.2019 at 19.00, Avanti Hall
Johannes Schöllhorn: Anamorphoses, Johann Sebastian Bach’s The Art of Fugues by
Frank Martin: Petite Symphonie Concertante (Adagio – Allegro con moto – Adagio – Allegretto alla marcia)
Jukka Tiensuu: Theoton, concerto for sheng and orchestra (Fever, Adrift, Game, Bliss)
Tickets and festival bus
Tickets for the summer concert are on sale on Lippupiste’s website www.lippu.fi/avanti and by calling 0600 900 900 (1,98€/min. + pvm). Festival pass enquiries directly from Avant’s office (contact details below). As usual, the festival bus will take you directly from Kiasma to the Art Factory and back after the concert. Bus tickets are also sold by Lippupiste. Bus timetables can be found here.
More information:
Avant’s office, tel. 050 581 0409
Photo by Sanne Donders
