Conductor Yan Huichang has led traditional Chinese music performances by the HKCO around the globe, garnering plaudits and ovations from audiences appreciative of the cultural message he conveys, Xu Weiwei reports in Hong Kong.

Yan Huichang (center) conducts the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra at the 2020 Grand Chinese New Year Concert at Mupa Budapest in Hungary. The performance was broadcast live across the world. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

Seeing an audience reluctant to leave the music hall even after three encores and an official curtain call, veteran conductor Yan Huichang was stunned.

"The stage was already empty — but people were still standing there and applauding loudly for us," the Chinese music maestro recalls.

That was following a performance by the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra in Saint-Denis, a suburb of Paris, in 2004. Soon, the conductor figured out what to do. "I went back onto the stage with the concert masters again, and again, bowing and thanking them until they finally left contented."

Our mission statement is to turn the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra into a renowned, world-class orchestra.

Yan Huichang, conductor

More surprises followed. Afterward, outside the hall, Yan saw the crowds lining up to buy records and other publications produced by the ensemble, which all quickly sold out.

"That was really heartwarming to me, as it illustrated how much they had appreciated our performances and loved the Chinese traditional music," Yan says.

The orchestra also performed in a well-known, grand cathedral, the Basilica of Saint-Denis, a unique setting, receiving high recognition from the audience. When the rest of the world sees how unique Chinese culture is, and how it can benefit all people, they will surely enjoy it, Yan says.

The charm of Chinese folk music performed by the orchestra stems from it being deeply rooted in tradition while embracing modernity, according to Yan.

"Our mission statement is to turn the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra into a renowned, world-class orchestra that local Hong Kong residents can be proud of."

Yan has led the orchestra since 1997, when he was appointed its music director, moving on from his posts of principal conductor and artistic director of the China National Traditional Orchestra. Since then, the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra has performed across the globe.

Whether playing in Europe, the United States, or elsewhere in Asia, Yan has found that the orchestra's performances have always been highly welcomed.

"In so many places, the audiences have given standing ovations and requested encores, even before the shows have ended," he says. "In fact, the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra has become a cultural ambassador for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China."

Yan (third from left) joins other members of the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra during the Northern Lights Festival in Tromso, Norway, in 2011. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

On Jan 28, at the Esplanade Concert Hall in Singapore, for the first time since the outbreak of COVID-19, the orchestra members performed for nearly two hours. Their previous performance in Singapore was eight years earlier.

"Although it is more unusual for Asians to give a standing ovation, as they tend to be considered more reserved with their manners, this time, all audience members were on their feet, as they were really immersed in our performance," Yan says.

The audience in Singapore gave rave reviews. " (The concert) shows that music connects the hearts with more strength than a thousand words," said one attendee.

The orchestra "unfurled a program so magnificent and moving, it brought tears of joy and gratitude to my eyes several times throughout the evening", another member of the audience wrote in a notebook. It was "music with life and soul", added another concertgoer.

There have been similar moving scenes in the past, including at the orchestra's last overseas performance at Mupa Budapest in Hungary, before COVID-19 hit three years ago, Yan says.

For Yan, compared with Western classic music, the trait of Chinese traditional music lies in its conversational style and storytelling nature, as well as its ability to preserve the strong, lively character of each instrument, instead of trying to create one unified style.

"That's the attractiveness of Chinese folk music," he says.

The most difficult thing about conducting a Chinese folk orchestra is that one needs to "know extremely well the characteristics of every single instrument in the orchestra, as each of them is unique", he says.

A deep understanding of Chinese culture, history and aesthetics is also required, as they are all closely associated with folk music.

"Director Yan has not only acquired very extensive experience in conducting folk music, but also a systematic way of building the orchestra and leading it to stand out," says Zhao Taisheng, the principal sanxian (a three-stringed plucked instrument) performer in the orchestra.

"He has succeeded in bringing the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra (to) an advanced level in the world, while being highly supportive of innovative reforms pertaining to our traditional instruments."

Yan Huichang, conductor. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

Excellence is born from diligence and intelligence. When the orchestra performed in Norway's snowy Arctic Circle region in 2011, its eco-friendly instrument, the huqin (Chinese fiddle), withstood the test of some of the most freezing conditions in the world. "That was much to our surprise," Yan says.

According to Yan, the skin-covered sound box of the huqin has been traditionally made of python skin. However, because pythons have been on the endangered species list since the 1980s, and products made with such material are banned in many countries, the orchestra replaced the reptile skin with a more snake, and environmentally, friendly alternative — polyethylene terephthalate.

Having a good grasp of music theory pertaining to Chinese traditional music and its instruments can serve the purpose of promoting it well overseas, says Yan.

To Yan's delight, he says, he notices that Chinese traditional music majors have been set up in many learning institutes around the world, which is something that, at one time, he could not have imagined.

"Also, could you ever imagine that Chinese conductor Tan Dun would be appointed as the dean of the Bard Conservatory of Music in New York?" he asks. Tan was appointed to the position in 2019.

Yan says that the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra succeeds in trying to keep pace with the times and it continues to innovate. Locally, the orchestra serves residents of Hong Kong, as it helps plan, organize, and participate in all kinds of folk music festivals.

During the pandemic, Yan says that the orchestra has not stopped innovating, with new forms of traditional Chinese music being developed to engage audiences in Hong Kong. Among those initiatives was the creation of an online music hall to enable audiences to enjoy a wide range of shows free of charge.

The orchestra also held its first online live broadcast concerts in 2020. On March 10, the orchestra gave its first-ever performance on a cruise ship, at Victoria Harbor in Hong Kong, which was livestreamed on YouTube.

The orchestra's 2023 tour will include four concerts in Japan between March 31 and April 6. The concerts will see the orchestra work with Japanese saxophone player Sumiya Miho, bringing some fresh new sounds to their audiences.

Contact the writer at vivienxu@chinadailyapac.com