By Joseph Mathieu
Photos by Chris Roussakis
Chinese and Carleton University musicians converged on Dominion-Chalmers United Church to celebrate the Chinese New Year in an original way.
“When East Meets West” was billed as one of Ottawa’s most unique concert events of the year, and more than 450 people came out on Feb. 11, 2018 to see the dialogue between Asian and North American musicians and styles. The Ottawa Transpacific Orchestra (OTPO), an independent student-run ensemble, delivered a delightful afternoon of genre fusion and collaboration with some visiting virtuosos.
Prof. Yuening Liu and the Jasmine Ensemble of the Central Conservatory of Music (CCM) of Beijing and Prof. Zhao Qun, director of the Department of Traditional Chinese Opera at the world-renowned Shanghai Theatre Academy, were featured artists alongside Carleton University student and alumni musicians and faculty members, including James Wright and John Higney.
“It was a wonderful concert, one that showcased the cross-cultural collaboration between eastern and western musicians that all began with two summer exchange trips to China,” said Wright.
In 2016, Wright accompanied 13 Carleton music students to the CCM in Beijing, and Higney went with another group of 12 in 2017. Nine Carleton music students and recent alumni who participated in both years formed the OTPO, an ensemble that blends traditional Chinese instruments with western musical traditions.
Using instruments like the erhu, yangqin, and zhongruan, musicians interplayed their sounds with voice, piano, guitar and drums in the traditions of jazz, pop and classical music. The first half of the program began with Carleton music student Kelsey Hayes singing “A Valentine’s Day without a Lover” in fluent Mandarin, accompanied by the OTPO’s director and arranger Matthew Devost, a Carleton master’s graduate on piano.
Unprompted, Liu of the CCM joined Devost on the zhongruan, with guest guitarist Zak Martel and saxophonist Darcy Peter for “Minor Swing” by Django Reinhardt, creating “a nice moment where musicians from both continents improvised together,” said Wright.
After a brief intermission, the OTPO and the Jasmine Ensemble took turns showcasing their talents for the intrigued audience.
The Jasmine Ensemble is arguably the world’s leading yangqin group. This unique instrument, also known as the Chinese dulcimer, is played by a percussionist who strikes its strings with flexible hammers on a resonant soundboard. The Beijing ensemble played Chinese folk songs and modern pieces before the OTPO took the stage to play a mix of Chinese and Western popular music, including “Superstition” by Stevie Wonder, a theme from The Lord of the Rings by Canadian film composer Howard Shore, “Black Hole Sun” by Soundgarden and an original song titled “Dragon’s Hum by Carleton student Yaling Hu.
Since 2016, Liu and her Jasmine Ensemble have been entertaining the idea of coming to Ottawa both to perform and to give a master class at Carleton. Wright, Devost, Liu and the musicians of the OTPO orchestrated this memorable get-together at Dominion-Chalmers to usher in the Chinese Year of the Dog.
Wright noted how educational and artistic collaborations of this kind can foster cross-cultural understanding, dialogue and fellowship.
“Magic can happen when youth from the world’s diverse nations and peoples are brought together to find common cause in the richness and beauty of music and culture.”
Thursday, February 22, 2018 in Campus News
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