THE SEATTLE SYMPHONY INVITES AUDIENCES TO THE 15TH ANNUAL CELEBRATE ASIA ON JANUARY 29 AT BENAROYA HALL
DOUGLAS F. KING ASSISTANT CONDUCTOR SUNNY XIA LEADS A PROGRAM THAT INCLUDES CHEN GANG AND HE ZHAN-HAO'S THE BUTTERFLY LOVERS CONCERTO PERFORMED BY VIOLINIST KERSON LEONG
Photo by Brandon Patoc
Photo by Carlin Ma
Seattle, WA — On January 29, the Seattle Symphony holds its annual Celebrate Asia, marking the event’s 15th anniversary. Celebrate Asia honors the region's Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities with a program designed to showcase the traditions of their rich musical heritage, including a featured concert that brings AAPI composers and musicians to the forefront. This season’s Celebrate Asia event is joined by several exciting guests and performers, including Douglas F. King Assistant Conductor Sunny Xuecong Xia, virtuoso violinist Kerson Leong and KING5’s Mimi Jung, who will serve as host and usher audiences through pre- and post-concert activities, as well as the concert performance.
Celebrate Asia begins in the Samuel & Althea Stroum Grand Lobby with a performance from Vietnamese dance ensemble GDPT Lieu Quan, which makes its Benaroya Hall debut, followed by the Seattle International Lion Dance Team dancing the audience to their seats. For the first time, during both the pre-and post-concert activities, Seattle ReStored joins the event to host a curated market showcasing eight local vendors: Studio Tenjung, Dyme Designs, Sskein, Exquisite Knots, Lunaraya, Art Xin Xin, Anna Elizabeth Ceramics and Sunlan Designs. These vendors specialize in a variety of Asian-inspired products ranging from jewelry, apparel and accessories to visual art, crafts and ceramics.
The 15th anniversary concert of Celebrate Asia finds the Seattle Symphony’s own Douglas F. King Assistant Conductor Sunny Xuecong Xia at the podium in a program filled with noteworthy selections that will be familiar to many attendees. The performance opens with Li Huanzhi’s Spring Festival Overture, a well-known work originating in China and internationally recognized for its strong presence in Lunar New Year celebrations around the world. Next, the concert spotlights another significant piece, The Butterfly Lovers Concerto, written by Chen Gang and He Zhan-Hao, and featuring virtuoso violinist Kerson Leong. Adapted from a Chinese legend of the same name, the concerto tells a tragic love story and is widely considered one of the most famous Chinese orchestral works ever written. The spirited program then concludes with Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Romeo & Juliet Fantasy Overture and Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's Capriccio espagnol.
After the concert, the event continues with performances by drumming groups CHIKIRI and The School of TAIKO, and Bhangra/Bollywood dance school Rhythms of India. The festivities conclude with an interactive dance performance inviting attendees to join in.
Ticket Information
For more information on tickets for Celebrate Asia, please visit seattlesymphony.org or contact the Seattle Symphony Ticket Office. The Seattle Symphony Ticket Office is located in Benaroya Hall, at Third Avenue and Union Street. The Ticket Office can be reached by phone at 206.215.4747 during the following times: Tuesday–Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday, 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.
SUNNY XIA | CONDUCTOR
Recognized for her innate musicality, compelling presence and technical precision, conductor Sunny Xia’s ability to forge an immediate and captivating connection with orchestras and audiences alike has led to engagements around the country. Recently appointed Douglas F. King Assistant Conductor of the Seattle Symphony, Xia began her new position in September 2022. In the 2021/2022 season, Xia was selected as Conducting Fellow at the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music, where she made her festival debut leading the world premiere of Marc Migó Cortés’ Dumka in July 2022. She led a production of La bohème with the Chandler Opera Company to great success and served as Assistant Conductor of the Phoenix Youth Symphony Orchestra. A dynamic advocate for contemporary music, Xia will be leading the Seattle Symphony in works by composers Katy Abbott, Chen Yi, Quinn Mason, Angelique Poteat, Gabriella Smith and Tan Dun in the 2022/2023 season.
KERSON LEONG | VIOLIN
Kerson Leong has been described as “not just one of Canada’s greatest violinists but one of the greatest violinists, period” (Toronto Star). Forging a unique path since his First Prize win at the International Yehudi Menuhin Violin Competition in 2010, he continues to win over colleagues and audiences alike with innovative mastery of his instrument. Leong has played in prestigious concert venues around the world, from Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium and the Auditorium du Louvre to Wigmore Hall and the National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing. His 2022/2023 season includes solo performances with the Seattle Symphony, Brussels Philharmonic, Bilkent, Toronto, Tucson, Toledo and Quebec symphony orchestras, and Symphony Nova Scotia as well as a tour of Sweden with the Camerata Nordica. Highlights from past seasons include solo performances with such ensembles as the Royal, Oslo, Kansai and Liège Royal Philharmonic orchestras, the Singapore, Montreal, Vancouver, Stavanger and Wuppertal symphony orchestras, a recital tour of the Midwestern U.S., and recording John Rutter’s Visions with the composer himself and the Aurora Chamber Orchestra, after giving its world premiere in London.
MIMI JUNG | HOST
Mimi Jung is an Emmy-award winning anchor and storyteller on KING 5 News. She started in April 2000 and currently anchors KING 5 Mornings from 4 a.m.–7 a.m. Born and raised in Puyallup, Jung graduated from Syracuse University with a B.A. in Broadcast Journalism and her career took her to Las Vegas, Nevada before she came back home to her dream job in Seattle.
CELEBRATE ASIA
In partnership with numerous local community groups, the Seattle Symphony honors and celebrates the city’s Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities with the annual Celebrate Asia concert at Benaroya Hall. The concept originated when local Asian leaders from the region’s Chinese, Filipino, Indian, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Thai and Vietnamese communities wanted to find a way to strengthen bonds with the broader community through a cultural celebration. Now in its 15th year, Celebrate Asia has become a signature arts event at Benaroya Hall.
SEATTLE SYMPHONY
The Seattle Symphony unleashes the power of music, brings people together and lifts the human spirit. Recognized as one of the “most vital American orchestras” (NPR), the Seattle Symphony is internationally acclaimed for its inventive programming, community-minded initiatives and superb recordings on the Seattle Symphony Media label. With a strong commitment to new music and a legacy of over 150 recordings, the orchestra has garnered five Grammy Awards, 27 Grammy nominations, two Emmy Awards and was named Gramophone’s 2018 Orchestra of the Year. The Symphony performs in Benaroya Hall in the heart of downtown Seattle from September through July, reaching over 750,000 people annually through live performances and radio broadcasts, and through the Seattle Symphony Live streaming service, the orchestra’s concerts reach audiences at home and around the world.
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CELEBRATE ASIA
SPECIAL PERFORMANCES
Sunday, January 29, at 4 p.m.
Sunny Xia conductor
Kerson Leong violin
Li Spring Festival Overture
Chen Gang & He Zhan-Hao The Butterfly Lovers Concerto
Tchaikovsky Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture
Rimsky-Korsakov Capriccio espagnol
Celebrate Asia Program Schedule
PRE-CONCERT: 3 p.m.
SAMUEL & ALTHEA STROUM GRAND LOBBY
GDPT Lieu Quan
International Lion Dance Team
Mini Market curated by Seattle Restored
CONCERT: 4 p.m.
S. MARK TAPER FOUNDATION AUDITORIUM
POST-CONCERT: 5:50 p.m.
SAMUEL & ALTHEA STROUM GRAND LOBBY
CHIKIRI and The School of TAIKO
Rhythms of India
Mini Market curated by Seattle Restored
Seattle ReStored Vendors Featured
Studio Tenjung, Dyme Designs, Sskein, Exquisite Knots, Lunaraya, Art Xin Xin, Anna Elizabeth Ceramics and Sunlan Designs.
Sunny Xia’s position is generously underwritten as the Douglas F. King Assistant Conductor..
Celebrate Asia is generously sponsored by Yoshi and Naomi Minegishi.
Celebrate Asia is presented as part of the Seattle Symphony’s New Music WORKS initiative, which is supported in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. New Music WORKS features commissions, concerts and educational activities that use composition as a catalyst for collaboration and engagement in music.