“Despite its name, Spoleto Festival USA is consistently international in its scope, presenting music every year in a variety of languages and from different periods,” writes Jiamin Jiang in Tuesday’s (5/26) Post and Courier (Charleston, South Carolina). “This year, for example, will showcase a string of productions by Chinese-born artists. These include the world premiere of the opera Paradise Interrupted as well as several smaller works by composer Huang Ruo; Shen Wei’s modern dance company; and Tan Dun’s Concerto for Orchestra, which will be performed during one of the Spoleto Festival Orchestra concerts. Some contemporary Chinese works require that Western orchestras augment their musical resources.… ‘I believe it’s something that’s going to intrigue our audience,’ ” said Nigel Redden, the festival’s general director. … Bruce Hodges, a columnist for the Juilliard Journal and the Strad magazine, said music by Chinese composers likely will be heard more and more at Spoleto and throughout the U.S. ‘As China’s influence grows, and more Chinese-born composers study in the United States, their music will reach a wider audience,’ Hodges said. “ ‘Audiences, especially those interested in contemporary music, are naturally curious to experience new works by composers who represent new cultural influences.’ ”
Posted May 27, 2015
