KRONOS QUARTET AND WU MAN

(USA / CHINA )

A CHINESE HOME

Conceived by Wu Man, David Harrington, directed by Chen Shi-Zheng

GHOST OPERA

For String Quartet and Pipa with water, stone, paper and metal

Music, text and installation by Tan Dun

Saturday 9 March, 2013

The Civic, Auckland

ONE NIGHT ONLY

For one night only at The Civic, the world-renowned Kronos Quartet will take the potential of the string quartet into another new territory with two momentous and boundary-stretching works, A Chinese Home and Ghost Opera, performed with extraordinary Chinese pipa virtuoso, Wu Man.

A Chinese Home is an edgy soundscape for string quartet and pipa (Chinese lute) that was conceived by Wu Man, Kronos' David Harrington and leading theatre director Chen Shi-Zheng (Dark Matter, The Peony Pavilion, Monkey: Journey to the West). Inspired by the deconstruction and rebuilding in the USA of a late Qing dynasty dwelling, this compelling musical and visual journey comes to life both on the stage and screen, drawing on metaphors of displacement and migration, rebirth and rebuilding, through the layers of sound found in Chinese music and culture.

The other-worldly Ghost Opera is a reflection on spirituality, incorporating Chinese, American, Tibetan, and English cultures, played on violin, viola, cello and pipa as well as water, metal, stone and paper. Also utilising innovative projections, Bach and Shakespeare are fused with Chinese shadow puppetry and ancient folklore, while Wu Man and the Kronos Quartet explore the mysteries of nature, the future and the past. Ghost Opera was composed by Tan Dun, whose prolific career includes an Academy Award for his soundtrack to the film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

Auckland Arts Festival Artistic Director, Carla van Zon said, "The Kronos Quartet has a formidable reputation that spans the world and we couldn't have been more delighted when they accepted our invitation to perform in New Zealand at the Auckland Arts Festival. The Quartet offers audiences much more than your usual string quartet experience. These works, with the magnificent Wu Man on her intriguing pipa, are beautiful, bold and excellent examples of two musical powerhouses collaborating to tell an even more interesting story than might be possible on their own. It will be a sublime night at The Civic."

Kronos has become one of the most celebrated and influential groups of our time. For 40 years, the Quartet has pursued a singular artistic vision: combining a spirit of fearless exploration with a commitment to expanding the range and context of the string quartet. In 2011, Kronos became the only recipients of both the Polar Music Prize and the Avery Fisher Prize, two of the most prestigious awards given to musicians. The group's numerous awards also include a Grammy for Best Chamber Music Performance (2004) and Musicians of the Year (2003) from Musical America.

Wu Man is an internationally-renowned pipa virtuoso, cited by the Los Angeles Times as "The artist most responsible for bringing the pipa to the Western World". Born in Hangzhou, China, she has performed with major orchestras around the world and has collaborated with some of the world's leading composers, including Tan Dun, Philip Glass, the late Lou Harrison, Terry Riley, Bright Sheng, and Chen Yi.

Chen Shi-Zheng is a Chinese-born, New York-based director, choreographer, singer, and actor. His directorial works include The Bonesetter's Daughter by Amy Tan with music by Stewart Wallace, a landmark 19-hour production of The Peony Pavilion, which was hailed as one of the most important theatrical events of the 20th century, and his first feature film Dark Matter which starred Meryl Streep. He also directed the 1998 production of Jack Body's Alley in the New Zealand International Arts Festival.

The conceptual and multifaceted composer/conductor Tan Dun has made an indelible mark on the world's music scene with a repertoire that spans the boundaries of classical music, multimedia performance, and Eastern and Western traditions. His recordings have garnered many accolades, including both Grammy and Academy Awards for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Grammy nominations for The First Emperor and Marco Polo, Japan's Recording Academy Awards for Best Contemporary Music CD (Water Passion after St. Matthew) and the BBC's Best Orchestral Album (Death and Fire). Tan Dun's work has been performed in New Zealand before, specifically The Map and The Water Concertos, and TEA: A Mirror of Soul.

www.aaf.co.nz

The score is rhythmically vital, texturally inviting - The New York Times

Broad-minded, culture-bending opus - LA Times

CONCERT DETAILS

Show Kronos Quartet and Wu Man

Where The Civic,  Auckland

When Saturday 9 March, 8pm

Duration 2hr with interval

Post-concert talk Saturday 9 March

Price Premium $87 / Friend/Conc/Group $81

A Res $77 / Friend/Conc/Group $72

B Res $67 / Friend/Conc/Group $62

C Res $45

Bookings Book at THE EDGE: www.buytickets.co.nz / 09 357 3355 / 0800 289 842

Group bookings: groups@the-edge.co.nz / 09 357 3354

Information www.aaf.co.nz

Social Media Facebook: facebook.com/Aklfestival

Twitter: @Aklfestival

Media enquiries Siobhan Waterhouse, Publicist. P: +64 (0)9 374 0317 | M: +64 (0) 22 126 4149| E: siobhan.waterhouse@aucklandfestival.co.nz

CREATIVE CREDITS

A Chinese Home

Director and visual designer: Chen Shi-Zheng

Lighting and scenic designer: Laurence Neff

Sound designer: Scott Fraser

Video photography: Camilla French

Video editing: flora&faunavisions

Costume designer: Laurence Xu

Assistant director: Lisa Iacucci

Associate sound designer: Calvin Ll. Jones

Ghost Opera

Music, text and installation by: Tan Dun

The Kronos Quartet: David Harrington (violin), John Sherba (violin), Hank Dutt (viola) and Jeffrey Zeigler (cello).

Presented in association with Chamber Music New Zealand

By arrangement with Arts Projects Australia