"It makes a very refreshing weekend," Grace Guiang, a Ph.D. student from the Philippines studying at Jinan University, said after she watched the Hollywood Classic Film Theme Concert at the Xinhai Concert Hall in Guangzhou on June 19.
GDToday joined hands with Tianci Culture New Age Symphony Orchestra and held an “Experience Guangdong” ticket giveaway, and six lucky winners received the ticket for this concert.
(Photo provided to Newsgd.com)
The concert, performed by New Age Symphony Orchestra, presented 11 suites originating from 11 movies such as Titanic, La La Land, The Phantom of the Opera, and Cinema Paradiso, attracting hundreds of audience members including some expats who live in Guangzhou and are from the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Russia.
In addition to hailing the concert as very refreshing, Grace also thought that each suite of this concert has its own strength. "If you want to dance a little bit, you have the La La Land, and The Phantom of the Opera is always grand." Grace told GDToday that her favorite suite is Aladdin. "The rendition is different in a good way. Its not the usual arrangement that we hear. So, its surprising."
Livia from Indonesia is also a Ph.D. student of Jinan University, who said the show was enjoyable and she would definitely come to such shows more often later. "I think the orchestra has put a lot of effort into this concert, and the hardwork has paid off tonight."
Jasmine Le from Vietnam, an Account Executive in Guangzhou, shared a similar feeling. "To me, it was truly astonishing and amazing," she said, "I used to believe that this style of music was dull, but I was entirely incorrect. They performed many of my favorite songs in a unique and moving way."
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The new performance method was one of the things that impressed audiences the most. Born in Guangzhou, Wu Jing (D.MUS), the music director and composer of the orchestra, worked in Hollywood for nearly 20 years and served as the music supervisor for the opening ceremony of the Sydney Olympic Games. He arranged the music suites this time and pointed out that the sound effect is a highlight of the concert.
"I used a lot of sound technology as well as electronic equipment, such as synthesizers, so that we can bring the effect of a big band even with a small number of people."
At the same time, Wu added that the concert, which showcases the music from classic movies, could remind the audience of these films they have watched and promote intercultural exchange. "It is very meaningful," he said, "we performed through the simplest and most direct way."
On June 24, New Age Orchestras another concert sharing classic pieces by Miyazaki Hayao and Joe Hisaishi will be staged at the Guangdong Friendship Theater, and Wu said that many Chinese children enjoy Miyazakis anime works. "I always want to bring the best and most beautiful things to children and to our audience in a simple way," said Wu, "thats the purpose of our concerts."