Marywood University’s music, theatre, and dance department, in conjunction with an invitation to the community by Sister Mary Persico, IHM, Ed.D., president of Marywood University, will host the Bamboo Orchestra of Beijing, China, for a special performance of professional musicians on Monday, January 20, 2020. The performance will take place in the Sette LaVerghetta Center for Performing Arts, at 7:30 p.m., with a pre-show by the Marywood University Percussion Ensemble at 7:20 p.m. on the University’s Campus. The free performances are Marywood’s gift to the community. Marywood University is the only college campus venue at which the world-renowned orchestra will appear during its U.S. tour, which includes performances in major cities.
The Bamboo Orchestra, with its distinctive features and high standards, quickly gained extensive attention worldwide. The materials for their instruments provide pure and simple sound and are taken from mountain forests. The orchestra is known as China’s only green orchestra, and its members consists of mostly young, bright musicians, eighty percent of whom have senior professional titles, or a master’s degree or higher.
The Bamboo Orchestra has appeared on many major shows, on television, and radio stations broadcast in Beijing and around the country. Performances for international organizations, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and national leaders were a great success and were widely praised. The orchestra has published five CD albums. Its founder, Wang Wei, received honors in the International Bamboo Art Competition held in New Orleans, La. He has published dozens of professional papers, and his book, Bamboo Musical Instruments, received a national publisher’s award. The orchestra also received the “Excellent Performances Award” in the CCTV Folk Instruments Contest; the “National Service Grass-Roots Advanced Units Award,” issued by the publicity department, the Ministry of Culture, the State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television, and the General Administration of Press and Publication. They also received nationally publicized praise by the Ministry of Culture for their performance in the Shanghai World Expo, and received the National Art Fund in 2015.
Join us for an evening of exceptional, unique music, with an array of spectacular costumes, as Marywood University hosts the Beijing Bamboo Orchestra. For additional information, please visit the music, theatre, and dance department, at marywood.edu/mtd/index.html, or call (570) 348-6268.