A cultural exploration that combines listening, seeing and participation, this concert elevates the sheng from a musical instrument to a multi-dimensional code connecting humans with the future. Embarking from Hong Kong, this concert invites the audience to appreciate a musical tradition that reverberates with ancient Chinese wisdom. From Northern Shanxi tune-types to surviving Tang dynasty sheng artefacts, from bamboo lushengs of Guizhou and Guangxi to the majestic organs of Europe—the entire spectrum of the world’s reed instruments comes to the fore. For the finale—One Breath, One World—the conductor leads everyone to hum together, and the resultant tranquillity infiltrates the orchestral texture. The sheng becomes an active medium connecting all who inhale and exhale. The reed represents an entire world, and a thousand shengs create universal harmony.
Conductor: Yan Huichang