Awakening Lion
Symphony Orchestra
Dai Wei
About
The Awakening Lion is a Curtis-commissioned piece by Curtis alumna Dai Wei. Combining traditional Cantonese Lion Dance elements with Western orchestral music, the piece features the use of unpitched percussion instruments such as Chinese bass drums, which are commonly heard in the accompanying music of the Cantonese Lion Dance. “I aimed to create a sound reminiscent of the traditional Chinese instrument Guquin by having two cellos played with a guitar pick at the beginning of the piece,” shares Dai. “My intention was to connect the past to the future and bring different corners of the world together.”
Awakening Lion draws inspiration from the Cantonese traditional dance of the same name, which tells the story of a creature named Nian who terrorizes a village. The villagers turn to a lion for help. After a fierce battle, the lion wounds Nian, who flees and promises revenge. The following year, the villagers create a lion mask to scare away Nian. “The collaboration in the Lion Dance shares many similarities with that of a symphony orchestra,” shares Dai. “Both require a high degree of precision and coordination among the performers to achieve a cohesive performance. When writing the piece, I reflected on the fact that under that giant beast mask are ordinary people like you and me. Although we may not be familiar with the story of the Awakening Lion or the battle with Nian, we all face our own battles … this inner strength is present in everyone, regardless of where we come from, who we love, or our gender. The lion that we raise up with all our inner positive strength and optimism when facing overwhelming forces is the embodiment of Awakening Lion.”
Performance
| Dai Wei |
Awakening Lion |
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Duration
10:00 |
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Commissioning Year
2023 |
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Premiere
May 12, 2023 Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square, PA |
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Recording
May 12, 2023 Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square, PA |
Artists
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Dai Wei Composition
Dai Wei is a composer and vocalist whose music often challenges the practice of labeling and explores untold social narratives from various communities. Recent works include a multimedia piece commissioned by Kronos Quartet and pipa virtuoso Wu Man, two chamber orchestra pieces commissioned by Albany Symphony, and an electroacoustic work commissioned by Ying Quartet. She is currently serving as Composer-in-Residence for the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra’s 2024-2025 Sound Investment Composer.
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Curtis Symphony Orchestra
Acclaimed for its “otherworldly ensemble and professional level of sophistication” (New York Times), the Curtis Symphony Orchestra offers a dynamic showcase of tomorrow’s exceptional young talent. Each year the 100 extraordinary musicians of the orchestra work with internationally renowned conductors, including Osmo Vänskä, Vladimir Jurowski, Marin Alsop, Simon Rattle, Robert Spano, and Yannick Nézet Séguin, who also mentors the early-career conductors who hold Rita E. Hauser Conducting Fellowships. This professional training has enabled Curtis alumni to assume prominent positions in America’s leading orchestras, as well as esteemed orchestral, opera, and chamber ensembles around the world.
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Osmo Vänskä Conductor
Music Director of Minnesota Orchestra for 18 years and of Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra since 2020, Osmo Vänskä is recognised for compelling interpretations of repertoire of all ages and an energetic presence on the podium. His democratic and inclusive style of work has been key in forging long-standing relationships with different orchestras.
Celebrating the last year of his tenure with Minnesota Orchestra this season, Osmo Vänskä presents some of his signature repertoire. He is joined by favourite guest soloists including Joshua Bell and Lisa Batiashvili, and continues with This Is Minnesota Orchestra, an Emmy Award-nominated series of performances for TV, radio and online audiences launched in 2020, developed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Vänskä has undertaken five major European tours, as well as historic trips to Cuba in 2015 – the first visit by an American orchestra since the two countries re-established diplomatic relations – and South Africa in 2018, as part of worldwide celebrations of Nelson Mandela’s Centenary – the first visit by an American orchestra, drawing together South African and American performers in musical expressions of peace, freedom and reconciliation, on a five-city tour following a successful return to London’s BBC Proms.
After a successful first season with Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, including opening and closing the Lotte Concert Hall Festival and recording works by Korean composer Isang Yun, he embarks on his second year with numerous concerts and community outreach projects.
He returns this season to the Symphony and Philharmonic orchestras of Pittsburgh, Antwerp, Helsinki, Netherlands Radio and Tokyo Metropolitan. While past guest conducting invitations include renowned international ensembles such as The Cleveland Orchestra, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Chicago symphony orchestras in North America; Orchestre de Paris, Berlin’s Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester and Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester in Europe, and London Philharmonic Orchestra in the UK; and the Shanghai Symphony and China, Hangzhou, Hong Kong and Taiwan philharmonic orchestras in Asia.
100 for 100
100 for 100 celebrates contemporary music with a showcase of bold, original compositions and fresh perspectives.
