SHANGHAI – Officials of the Philippine Consulate General joined other consular missions in marveling at the premier performance of the Chinese orchestral suite “中国音画” (Zhōngguò yīnhuà, “Chinese Music Painting”) at the Jaguar Shanghai Symphony Hall on April 1.
The piece was composed by renowned Chinese composer-lyricist Wu Songjin, and was written for a traditional Chinese orchestra. It spans five movements of altogether 22 pieces, namely “Lingnan Musical Paintings”, “Northern Musical Paintings”, “Southern Musical Paintings”, “Frontier Musical Paintings”, and finally, “Four Seasons Musical Paintings”. It is bookended by an overture and a finale.
With movements composed to represent each region, the piece serves as a masterful expression of Chinese cultural diversity of major Chinese ethnic groups.
The piece was originally scored and performed for a western orchestra, debuting in 2023. The April 1st performance marked the premier of the opus as scored for Chinese traditional instruments. The performance was by the Suzhou Chinese Orchestra, under the eminent baton of maestro Peng Jiapeng.
Attending for the PCG were the Acting Head of Post John Francis S. Herrera, Vice Consul Richard L. Recella, and Attachés Jeannie F. Petrola, Joany G. Margallo-Lucas, Mark Z. Geguera, and Jennifer Ranches.
Participation in major cultural activities and engagements in Shanghai and the provinces of Anhui, Hubei, Jiangsu and Zhejiang form an important part of the Consulate General’s diplomacy. END
