Why the Young Folk Orchestra "breaks the circle"
Our reporter Han Xuan
It was the spring day and the east wind was blowing, and the Chinese Pingju Art Center near the South Third Ring Road in Beijing heard the melodious sound of silk and bamboo.
This is where the Beijing National Orchestra is located. The actors are rehearsing intensively for the upcoming 2021 music season.
The Beijing National Orchestra was established in 2015 and planned the first music season this year, which means that they have reached a new level on the road of professionalism.
From a team of only two dozen people to a well-established orchestra today, the six-year-old Beijing National Orchestra not only created and launched large-scale national orchestral works such as "The Central Axis", but also passed a series of works such as "Guo Chao" The cross-border performance "out of the circle" has made many trend-seeking young people remember their names.
"Beijing's regiment must be worthy of the word Beijing." Li Changjun, the head of the regiment, always motivates himself and its members like this.
On New Year's Day 2021, the Beijing National Orchestra will stage a New Year's Concert "Guo·Wind", continuing the cross-border style.
From scratch
Polish the artistic quality a little bit
This is a very young orchestra.
On September 10, 2015, Beijing National Orchestra Co., Ltd. was formally registered and established with the approval of relevant departments. They are the first national orchestra organized in a corporate manner and have an independent legal person, and are affiliated to Beijing Performing Arts Group.
Recalling the scene when the orchestra was first established, Li Changjun felt a little sad.
"At that time there were only 25 people in the band, and they held large-scale concerts. More people were borrowed than the group. Large instruments such as percussion had to be loaned out. The band members didn't even have uniform costumes..." said Li Changjun, the orchestra The reform funds obtained at the time of its establishment were not enough to recruit talents on a large scale. As a corporate operation group, the orchestra must be responsible for its own profits and losses, and it is unavoidable for a while.
As an art troupe, artistic quality is of course the first. This is also what Li Changjun is most anxious about.
At that time, he wanted to take a group to perform at the National Grand Theater, because there were too many people on loan to guarantee the quality, so he was declined by the Grand Theater.
As the head of a performer, this incident left a deep scar in Li Changjun’s heart. “In the first few years of the orchestra’s establishment, I didn’t dare to go to any symposiums or seminars in the circle. If the team is good, I am embarrassed to talk in the circle."
Everyone in the group felt the tremendous pressure, "Beijing National Orchestra is in the capital. This is the art troupe of the National Cultural Center. Others will think that Beijing’s troupe must be good, or else I'm sorry for the word Beijing. "Li Changjun secretly made up his mind and set the first five-year development plan for the orchestra: to rank among the first-class national orchestras in the country.
To accomplish this goal, there is no shortcut, only to polish the quality bit by bit.
With the increase in support funds, the orchestra gradually enriched its team, until 2018, the orchestra had its own permanent conductor.
The addition of conductor Zhang Ming means that the meticulously crafted rehearsal has begun.
Zhang Ming said: "I grew up with the orchestra. When I first came to the orchestra, Li Tuan told me that I had to dig carefully and practice alone if it didn't work. The performers didn't dare to slack off when they saw this posture. "
When planning the performance, the orchestra also invited a number of artists to collaborate.
Every time he cooperates with different conductors, Zhang Ming also learns. Since most of the performers in the troupe are young people born in the 90s, they cherish the opportunity very much when they face new artists.
Conductor Zhang Guoyong sighed after he conducted the orchestra for the first time: "The young people of this group have two words in their eyes, asking for knowledge."
Virtuous circle
Expanding influence inside and outside the industry
After nearly 4 years of hard work, the results will be highlighted in 2019.
That year, the orchestra expanded to 79 people, with a band composed of nearly 60 people, and the artistic craftsmanship significantly improved the level of the band.
Li Changjun remembers clearly that when the orchestra performed "Imagination of the New Country" in 2019, the National Centre for the Performing Arts specially sent three experts to inspect it.
In 2020, the Beijing National Orchestra, which passed the inspection, finally stepped onto the stage of the Grand Theatre. The national orchestral suite "The Axis", led by the famous composer Ye Xiaogang, premiered at the National Grand Theatre.
This large-scale work praising the central axis of Beijing has not only caused a sensation in the folk music circle, but also aroused attention in the symphony circle.
The name of Beijing National Orchestra rang out in the circle!
This performance also allowed the National Centre for the Performing Arts to recognize the strength of the Beijing National Orchestra.
"In 2021, the Grand Theatre will directly invite our 6 projects to come on stage. This year's Lantern Festival'End of the World' Concert at this time is our performance. This is the first time that the National Grand Theatre will broadcast live folk music performances around the world during the Lantern Festival." Li Changjun His happiness is beyond words, "This shows that our artistic quality has gone up, forming a virtuous circle."
In addition to working in the field of traditional art, in 2020, the Beijing National Orchestra will also stage a "breaking circle" performance.
On New Year's Day in 2020, the orchestra changed the traditional style of New Year's concerts and staged a New Year's Folk Concert "Guo·Tide".
At the concert, performers played popular music works across borders, mixing different styles of music and literary works without any contradiction.
That night, many “two-dimensional boys” who like Chinese music came to the scene, some were wearing Hanfu, and some came to listen to the adaptation of popular music. The atmosphere was very warm.
As the concert also adapted and staged many fragments of Douyin Divine Comedy and Internet songs, "Guo·Chao" spread from offline to online.
Seeing that the orchestra is being followed on Weibo and short video platforms, the performers are also excited.
At that time, when I heard that the "net red track" was going to be adapted, these young people were extremely happy. You talked to me with your mouth, and I was so excited to see that my performance was liked by so many people.
On New Year's Day in 2021, their New Year concert continued to perform "Guo·Wind" across borders and made their own brand.
When it comes to cross-border folk music, there have been controversies in the industry. Some people think that this is not "high enough" and is not something that the professional colleges do.
"Different people have different opinions on this issue. I have a bottom line in my heart, that is, no matter how cross-border, the quality should not be bad." Li Changjun's idea is that young audiences don't like a rigid performance, and they can't screw it with them. Maybe a cross-border performance, just Give them the opportunity to get in touch with traditional art.
2.0 era
The new season fully absorbs nutrients
Not long ago, the Beijing National Orchestra ushered in an "old friend" who has known him for many years but has not cooperated with him-conductor Tan Lihua.
Tan Lihua and the orchestra staged the "Thrilling Sting" China Four Seasons Concert, which opened the orchestra's first music season.
In Tan Lihua's conducting career, this is the first time he has played a professional national orchestra, and he was also invited to be the orchestra's artistic director.
"It turns out that when I was in charge of the symphony orchestra, I paid attention to the nationalization of symphony. I think what musicians should do is to show the self-confidence of Chinese culture." Tan Lihua has a lot of thoughts on the development of national music. When rehearsing "Scary Sting", he adjusted the sound of the band. The position of the club was placed, and several big tunes were placed in the first half of the performance.
On the day of the performance, Tan Lihua stood in front of this young folk orchestra, still showing extraordinary tolerance. The performers broke through and shed tears when they stepped off the stage.
The composer Wang Danhong was sitting in the audience, and Li Changjun wanted to invite her to create works for the orchestra.
After listening to "Strange Sting", she said to Li Changjun, "This performance has strengthened my confidence in writing works for you."
"Tan Zhi has been in the professional symphony orchestra for so many years and has a very high level of musical accomplishment. Inviting him to be the art director for us is to hope that the orchestra can improve in all aspects. This is also the goal of the Beijing National Orchestra to enter the 2.0 era." Li Changjun said. In the ten performances planned for the 2021 music season, different conductors are invited to perform each of them. Among them, there are conductors who have never performed folk music before. "Symphony conductors can bring new ideas to folk music. They have many rigorous methods and different The way we deal with it is of great help to us, and we must absorb nutrients in a comprehensive way."
While continuing to improve the artistic quality of the orchestra, Li Changjun also has an "ambition", hoping that the Beijing National Orchestra will continue to expand its influence outside the folk music circle in the 2.0 era.
On May 20 this year, he wants to continue the style of "National Tide" and "National Wind" again and do a cross-border concert for the public.
"I have always wanted to perform folk music on the stage of the North Exhibition, where it is the position of pop music. I want to use folk orchestras to play rock and pop music." Li Changjun said that folk music is China's traditional culture and should be seen by contemporary young people. , Our national music can be so fashionable!