Sound of Dragon Society presents the 2024 Sound of Dragon Music Festival Day 2 - Dance of the Bows & Strings & Vancouver Erhu Quartet
The Bows and Strings ‘Dance Erhu (Huqin) Ensemble was established in 2009, initiated by music director Professor Yang Xue. The ensemble primarily consists of Yang’s students at the Central Conservatory of Music (Beijing), with the aim of cultivating and enhancing the performers’ polyphonic aural skills and polyphonic thinking in performance, embodying Professor Yang’s unique teaching philosophy that combines solo and ensemble playing.
The ensemble has always been dedicated to grounding itself in the traditions of huqin music, while drawing upon western compositional theories to enrich vocabulary and expand the language of Chinese bowed instruments. The ensemble has been featured in a series of Yang Xue’s textbooks teaching erhu ensemble playing techniques. It has released CDs and been featured in academic papers. The ensemble has toured in China and aboard, performing in Singapore, Malaysia, Beijing, Nanjing, Guangzhou, Tianjin, Lanzhou, Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan. They have successfully premiered commissioned works such as “Bows and Strings ‘Dance” and “Red Velvet,” delivering captivating performances at high profile events, such as the Beijing Huqin Festival and the China Bowed String Festival. The ensemble was awarded the Silver Prize in the Professional Youth A Category at the 2nd “Dunhuang Cup” Chinese National Chamber Music and Ensemble Competition in 2021.
Created during the pandemic year in 2020, the Vancouver Erhu Quartet explores the sonic possibilities combining the erhu (Chinese violin) with western strings. The quartet consists of Vancouver erhu players Lan Tung and Jun Rong, violinist/violist Parmela Attariwala, and cellist Sungyong Lim. The quartet’s all-Asian members represent Taiwanese, Chinese, Punjabi, and Korean communities. Their interpretation of contemporary works is fused with the sensitivity and sense of breath from Asian traditions. At the same time, the musicians have performed/studied various musical styles to explore innovative approaches. Together they bring expertise in various genres, from traditional, contemporary, classical, avant-garde, to world/cross-cultural music. The Vancouver Erhu Quartet takes advantage of Canada’s multicultural environment to explore the combination of eastern and western bowed strings, as well as diverse influences from collaborating composers.
Follow us