The contemporary and the traditional

Under the baton of Lin Daye, the music director of the Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra (SZSO), the orchestra will perform two contemporary works along with a Brahms symphony this Friday. German percussionist Cornelia Monske will be the featured soloist for the evening.

The Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra. Photos courtesy of Shenzhen Concert Hall

The concert will open with the Polish composer Adam Wesołowski’s “Dance of the Heavenly Spheres,” which premiered last year in honor of the 550th birth anniversary of Nicolaus Copernicus. Wesołowski, a winner of the prestigious International Antonín Dvořák Composition Competition, skillfully blended Tarantelle dance rhythms reminiscent of Copernicus’ era with contemporary music styles. This joyful and mystical piece prominently features the musical note “so” (with “sol” meaning “sun” in Latin) as a nod to the scientist’s heliocentric beliefs, while honoring Copernicus’ diverse talents as a priest, mathematician, doctor, and astronomer.

Audience members will then hear the Chinese premiere of Fredrik Schwenk’s “Five Elements,” a three-movement concerto composed by Schwenk for Monske and the SZSO. Schwenk was inspired to create this groundbreaking work after watching Monske perform alongside her Chinese students, using both Chinese and Western musical instruments. The piece, infused with musical elements of Beijing opera, carries a distinctly East Asian charm.

The second half of the concert will showcase Brahms’ “Symphony No.1 in C Minor, Op. 68.” Known for its lyricism and thematic unity, this masterpiece, which Brahms painstakingly crafted over nearly 20 years, is regarded as one of the greatest symphonies of the Austro-German tradition. The poignant string melody in the fourth movement bears a resemblance to “Ode to Joy” from Beethoven’s ninth symphony, leading some music critics to hail it as Beethoven’s unofficial tenth symphony.

A poster for the concert. 

Monske, who began her musical journey learning the violin at a young age before transitioning to percussion, is currently a professor of marimba and serves as vice dean of the Hamburg College of Music and Drama. She regularly collaborates with esteemed orchestras and has released several solo albums.

Time: 8 p.m., Nov. 15

Tickets: 50-880 yuan

Venue: Shenzhen Concert Hall, Futian District (深圳音乐厅)   

Metro: Line 3 or 4 to Children’s Palace Station (少年宫站), Exit D