2004 Annual Concert

Foreword 

This annual concert, “Love in Autumn”, is decidedly different in one respect.  Mr. Yan-Qiao Wang, who has been our Music Director for over ten years, is no longer with our Choir.  He has assumed the position of Visiting Professor at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, China since August.  We would like to express our deepest appreciation for Mr. Wang’s past contribution to the Choir and earnestly hope that he can at last fulfill his wish to concentrate on composing. 

We are, however, indeed fortunate to have Mr. ZhiPei Liu step right in to fill the void as our musical director and conductor in year 2004..  Already, Mr. Liu has conducted our Choir on two occasions, the multi-cultural concert in March and the Overseas Chinese Arts Festival Choral Exchange Concert in June.  Both of our performances were a success and well received by the audience. 

As the name of this concert suggests, most of tonight’s programme of Chinese and western music is related to “love”.  Sharing the stage with us is the Creative Note Music Centre performers led by Ms. Daphne Hsu.  Also on the programme are violin solo by Ms. Qian Zhao, who has received many international prizes, cello solo by Mr. Jun Liu and piano solo by none other than our Conductor, Mr. Liu. 

Finally, on behalf of the Chinese Canadian Choir of Toronto, I would like to give a sincere thank to Po Chai Pills Charity Foundation and Rotary Club of Kowloon East, Hong Kong for their financial and moral supports which they have been giving us so generously for the past five years that we could perform several concerts every year in Toronto with a purpose of promoting some cultural exchange between east and west. 

David Tse

President

 The Chinese Canadian Choir of Toronto 

It is a registered non-profit organization formed in 1983 with the purpose of promoting Chinese and Western music in the Greater Toronto Area.  It is made up of keen music lovers and there are at present over 50 members. 

Each year, the Choir participates in the multicultural concert – “Singing Together”, the Annual Choral Concert of the Overseas Chinese Festival of the Arts as well as organises its own annual concert. 

The Choir participated in numerous concerts in past years: performed major works such as The Yellow River Cantata’ in the concert held by the Chinese Canadian Music Society of Ontario; the gold winner in Toronto’s 1994 & 1995 Kiwanis Music Festival; participant in the 1995 performance of Camarata; organised a special program to commemorate the 50^th anniversary of the end of WW II; participated in Choral Gala to commemorate the 200^th anniversary of the founding of Scarborough City in 1996; performed in the Gala Concert to celebrate Hong Kong’s return to China in 1997.  As well, it seizes every opportunity to collaborate with other choirs such as Cathay Melodiers Choir of Detroit, Hongshen Choir of Michigan, Vancouver Chinese Choir Association, Mississauga Chinese Choir, Maple Leaf Children’s Choir, Creative Note Children’s Choir, Toronto Season Choir etc. 

Besides, the Choir sends out small groups to perform for organizations at special times like the Mid-autumn or New Year Festival.  It also holds fundraising concerts for worthy causes.

Programme

Conductor: Zhipei Liu   Accompanist: Nuo Li 

The Butterfly Lovers

 Yingtai Zhu, the only daughter of a prosperous family, despairs at the prospect of staying within the walls of her family's compound until she marries and goes off to live behind a new set of walls. More educated than most girls, she persuades her father to allow her to masquerade as a man and travel to Hangzhou to study with Master Zhou. On the way, she meets Shanbo Liang and the two become friends and "sworn brothers." Yingtai has difficulty concealing her gender from him, especially after she falls in love with him. Nonetheless, she keeps up the pretense until she is called home, entrusting Mrs. Zhou to reveal her secret after her departure. Of course Shanbo wants to marry her once he learns the truth-but her parents have found her a groom. The story, based on a Chinese folktale, has all of the elements of a great tragic love affair, including misunderstandings, withheld information, meddling servants, jealous rivals, tears, psychosomatic illnesses-and last but not least-an ending in which the star-crossed lovers are transmuted into a pair of butterflies. Yingtai is an engaging and clever heroine, never willing to give up the pursuit of her desires. Shanbo can be downright dense at times, but he makes a romantic leading man, even though he is never as resolute or courageous as Yingtai. He loves her beyond death, and that's what counts in this kind of story.
 

ZHIPEI LIU

Graduated from the Central Conservatory of Music, China and the University of Hartford in the USA, majoring in both orchestra conducting and piano as a fellow of the prestigious Hartt School Talent award for his doctoral studies, the highest distinction possible in the school of music. 

At the age of 24, he made his conducting debut with the China Broadcasting Symphony Orchestra.  Since then he has frequently been invited as both Conductor and Piano Soloist to perform with many orchestras, including China Central Philharmonic Orchestra, Beijing Concert Hall Chamber Orchestra, China Film Philharmonic Orchestra, and Symphony of the University of Wisconsin in the United States, McGill Conservatory Chamber Orchestra, National Academy Orchestra and Brott Music Festivals in Canada etc.  He has also collaborated and performed with distinguished soloists such as Anton Kuerti, Daniel Taylor and Suzie Le Blanc and Pinchas Zuckerman.

While in Beijing, Liu was appointed the Music Director of the National Band of China, regularly performed for national leaders and visiting foreign dignitaries, such as Chinese Presidents Deng and Jiang, former US President Reagan, USSR President Gorbachev, British Prime Minister Thatcher.

As music teacher, Liu has taught piano, music theory and the art of ensemble, and given many concerts and lectures as a conductor and pianist at universities and public forums in China and in North America.  He served as the Music Director of the Symphony and Chorus in the Arts Academy in Beijing, and directed the CAST Youth Orchestra & Chinese Canadian Choir of Toronto in Canada.

Liu’s successful performances and teaching have been interviewed, reported on and reviewed by Central Television, Beijing Television, China International Broadcasting, China Daily and People’s Daily in China, The Hamilton Spectator and Wisconsin Television in North America.  His interpretation of music, teaching skills and his constant pursuit of perfection have won him great honor and respect in music circles in China and abroad.

DAPHNE HSU

Daphne Hsu, born in Pingtung, Taiwan, was a music education major at Taipei Municipal Teacher’s College before going to the Ohio State University as an undergraduate student in 1992.  She received her Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctoral Degrees in vocal performance from OSU where she studied voice with Professor Marajean Marvin Huling and Professor Eileen Davis.

Not long after she immigrated to Toronto in 2000, she appeared several times as a guest soloist at the Toronto Performing Arts Centre and had concert tours with Taipei Formosa Singers in Taiwan, San Diego, Los Angeles and Vancouver.

Currently, she teaches voice privately in Toronto and is the conductor of the Creative Note Children’s Choir.

QIAN ZHAO

Qian Zhao is a multiple winner of international competitions of music. She won an outstanding award at the international violin competition in Yugoslavia at the age of 17; first prizes at Adelaide International Violin Competition of Australia, Louis Lane Musical Instruments Competition of the United States and Mandarin Club Music Competition of Australia, and also the section winner at the Yehudi Menuhin International Violin Competition held in France.

Qian Zhao has appeared as a soloist with many orchestras including Luxembourg Radio and Broadcasting Orchestra, Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, Waterbury Symphony Orchestra of U.S.A., Pan Pacific Festival Orchestra of Australia, China’s Central Philharmonic Orchestra, Central Ballet Orchestra of China and Beijing Symphony Orchestra. She played on many important occasions including those for former U.S. President George Bush and British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher during their visits to China.

Born in Beijing, Qian Zhao began to study violin and piano with her parents since childhood. She was chosen by the Chinese Ministry of Culture to attain the undergraduate program at Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing at the age of seventeen. Upon graduation, she was awarded a scholarship to do a Master's degree at Yale University. In 1986, she was sponsored by Maestro Issac Stern to the prestigious Marlboro Music Festival in Vermont. Her teachers include Zhao Wei-jian, Sidney Harth, Charmian Gadd and Richard Goldner.

 KEVIN LIU

 Kevin Liu was born in an artistic family in which his father is a painter.  Being fascinated and cultivated by art at his early age, he became interested in cello.

Kevin graduated from Ji Lin Art Institute in 1985 with a bachelor degree in cello.  He, at the same year, participated and won a prize in the First China Cello Competition.

Prior to immigration to Canada in 2001, Kevin was a cellist with Beijing Symphony Orchestra.  He involved in many forms of national and overseas performance.  He has gained a wealth of experience in performing symphony, chamber programs, and concerto.

In China, Kevin actively involved in cello teaching field.  He was a part-time cello teacher with Beijing Jin Fan Youth Symphony Orchestra for more than ten years.  After immigration to Canada, in addition to his cello teaching, Kevin has been participating in performing with Toronto Chinese Symphony Orchestra, including Yellow River Concert, New Year Concert etc.

會員名單

Member List

Creative Note Children’s Choir

 The Creative Note Children’s Choir was formed with a total of eight members in March 2001.  Through extensive hours of training and much effort the choir now has thirty members.  The objective of the choir is to help children achieve music fundamentals and gain unique experience.  The choir is dedicated to the promotion of formal music and fine arts education for children and youth. 

One of our most important goals is to maintain Chinese culture and tradition through Chinese language and music.  We also perform music of different countries in their respective languages – French, Ukrainian, Russian, Italian, German, Japanese and English.  Classical music is the most prominent component of our repertoire. 

In 2002, the choir went on a concert tour to Ohio, USA to perform with the Swallow Children’s Choir (Choir “Lastochka”).  Recently, the choir was invited to perform at the Royal Ontario Museum, the Lantern Festival and Jean Lumb Awards.

 In July 2004, the choir was invited to perform in Russia, Ukraine & Paris.

創藝音樂中心 – 演出者名單

Creative Note Music Centre

Performer List

籌備委員會
Organizing Committee
Music Director	音樂總監	Zhipei Liu	劉志培
Producer	製作	Daniel Eng	伍文杰
Co-ordinator	統籌	Chang Chang	章璋
Treasurer	財務	Esther Cheng	鄭冰瑩
Programme Book	場刊	Daniel Eng	伍文杰
		Maria Tse	鄧念甦
		David Tse	謝大為
Ticketing	票務	Dana Kam	黃之光
		Grace Sum	梁　芬
		Mary Lin	林碧桂
Advertising	宣傳	Maria Tse	鄧念甦
		George Kam	金國偉
Stage Manager	舞台主任	Paul Yu	喻華倫
		Kenny Tsui	徐振偉
		Jenny Tsui	蔡遙冰
Reception	接待	Lee Hung Ying	李鳳英
		Henry Wong	黃顯超
		Helen Wong	黃杏金
Video/Photography	攝影	David Tse	謝大為
		Eddy Wong
Uniform	服裝	Kitty Lau	吳麗英
		Grace Sum	梁　芬

場刊設計：李天欣　fionalee@rogers.com

多倫多華人合唱團

攝於2004海華文藝季觀摩會

2004 Overseas Chinese Arts Festival Choral Exchange Concert