The Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO) will usher in the Year of the Snake on February 8, 2025 with a concert that has emerged as one of the city’s prominent celebrations of Chinese cultural heritage. Year of the Snake: A Lunar New Year Celebration will be hosted and narrated by comedian Dashan (Mark Rowswell), and feature music that draws from the classical traditions of both Western and Chinese culture.
One the program are iconic seasonal works like The Butterfly Lovers Violin Concerto and the Spring Festival Overture as performed by the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, led by conductor Naomi Woo.
A Showcase of Pan-Asian Artists
A series of Pan-Asian guest artists will take the stage.
Classically trained composer Wu Fei is a master of the guzheng, a 21-string Chinese zither, and a vocalist. The guzheng is a musical instrument with a 2,500 + year old history, and Fei uses the musical language of tradition in contemporary works that defy categorization. Her compositions have won awards and been performed globally.
She is a native of Beijing, China, where she studied at the China Conservatory of Music. She later came to the United States to study at Mills College at Northeastern University, and is currently based in Nashville, TN.
As a musician, she has taken the stage at venues that include the Forbidden City, New York’s MoMA, Quai Branly Museum in Paris, the North Sea Jazz Festival, and the Europalia Festival, among others.
Violinist Stella Chen jump started her international career with a first-prize win at the 2019 Queen Elizabeth International Violin Competition. Other accolades and recognition would follow, including the 2020 Avery Fisher Career Grant and 2020 Lincoln Center Emerging Artist Award. She was also named the Gramophone 2023 Young Artist of the Year.
Stella has performed with the New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, Israel Symphony, and Belgian National Orchestra, among other international ensembles. She has taken the stage at Carnegie Hall and the Lincoln Center in New York City, along with the Vienna Musikverein and Berlin Philharmonie.
Chen is also a dedicated chamber musician who has appeared at festivals across Europe and the US. She performs on the 1720 General Kyd Stradivarius, on generous loan from Dr. Ryuji Ueno and Rare Violins In Consortium, Artists and Benefactors Collaborative and the 1708 Huggins Stradivarius courtesy of the Nippon Music Foundation.
Yang Yang Dance Studio of Mississauga will also perform.
“This celebratory occasion is always a highlight of my year, and I am delighted to reunite with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra to ring in the Year of the Snake,” says Maestro Naomi Woo in a statement.
“I love the way this holiday brings people together, so it is fitting to be joined by my friends Stella Chen and Dashan, and to work with the iconic Wu Fei for the first time. It’s always good luck to wear new clothes for the new year, so this concert will also feature a brand-new orchestral piece: Ode to the Red Cliffs, based on a Song Dynasty poem, with music by Shawn Moore and recitation by Dashan.”
Pre-Concert Fun
Before the concert, you can purchase a special ticket that includes the pre-concert cocktail reception and dinner at the Shangri-La Hotel. You’ll be able to enjoy a lion dance performance and guzheng performance by Wu Fei while you quaff, with host Dashan and conductor Naomi Woo in attendance.
After dinner, you’ll get a ceremonial escort from the Shangri-La down Simcoe Street to Roy Thomson Hall, where you’ll find your seats in the best sections.
- Find tickets and more information about that option [HERE].
With your regular ticket, the celebrations start in the Roy Thomson Hall lobby at 7:00 p.m. an hour before the concert starts. That includes a lion dance performance, and an Asian-Canadian vendors market with a variety of goods.
- Find more details and tickets [HERE].
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