Pacific Symphony’s Lunar New Year Concert melds East and West
The dragon is considered the most powerful of all of the Chinese zodiac signs.
As we enter the Year of the Dragon in 2024, the Pacific Symphony has prepared a powerful experience for the ears.
Pacific Symphony’s seventh annual Lunar New Year celebration concert will take place Saturday, Feb. 10, at the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall in Costa Mesa. Joyful music, festive dances and a fusion of East and West musical traditions are on the agenda.
The program will be conducted by longtime Pacific Symphony music director Carl St. Clair. After the two-hour celebration of Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese cultures, it will end with a presentation of “America the Beautiful” by the Pacific Chorale.
“I want everybody to spend the time to promote great culture together,” said Charlie Zhang, who serves on the board of directors for Pacific Symphony, at a recent media event. “Here in the United States, most of the people immigrate from different places, and we’re united together as one.”
Zhang came to America with $20 in his pocket and dreams of playing the clarinet, after receiving a music scholarship to Pasadena City College. Those plans were dashed after he injured a finger working in a restaurant. That industry soon became his passion — he founded the restaurant chain Pick Up Stix in 1989 — but his love for music has continued over the years. Last year, he received an honorary doctorate from Cal State Fullerton.
He and his wife, Ling, are sponsors of the concert, as is the Jade Society, which helps support the symphony by opening “avenues of engagement to the Chinese communities of Orange County,” according to its web page.
Charlie Zhang worked with Eileen Jeanette, Pacific Symphony’s senior vice president of artistic planing, to put together the program.
“He’s like the nuclear fission of this project,” Pacific Symphony President John Forsyte said, adding that Charlie had the idea for the concert early on in his tenure on the symphony’s board of directors. “He imagined an event that really was very inclusive. He’s almost like an impresario. He loves bringing together children and professionals, so we took his cue and have worked very closely with him.”
The show itself is a mix of internationally recognized and local Orange County talent. Yu Liu will play the pipa, a traditional Chinese wooden instrument. Fei-Fei Dong will play piano on a Beethoven “Choral fantasy” piece.
Wendy Hua’s Violin Studio at Orange County Music and Dance, as well as the Yaya Dance Academy, also have pieces they’ll perform. The violin studio will play “The Butterfly Lovers Violin Concerto,” one of the most famous Chinese orchestral pieces. The dance academy will tackle two pieces, “Polonaise from 2046” as well as “Wanquan River.”
Concertmaster Dennis Kim, who was born in Korea, raised in Canada and educated in the United States, said he appreciates the Pacific Symphony’s commitment to such a show.
“For me, this Lunar New Year celebration at Pacific Symphony is very special, to have our music director be a part of this,” said Kim, who serves on the faculty of UC Irvine and the Orange County School of the Arts. “I know a lot of other places, the music director, he or she would never do a Lunar New Year concert. It’s kind of like a show on the side. But here, I feel like it’s one of the concerts that Carl really takes seriously and he understands the importance for our community. So for me, it’s great to be part of this important annual event.”
Pacific Symphony President John Forsyte said that with hundreds of performers, it’s the largest American orchestra production for Lunar New Year. He said the concert’s goal is to unite the community as much as possible, adding that it’s one of Pacific Symphony’s greatest nights of the year.
“What has been joyous is to bring together Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, countries that have traditionally celebrated the Lunar New Year,” Forsyte said. “That has grown over the years, to be more inclusive in the programming. At the same time, I think it’s wonderful for audiences that don’t come from Asia to experience an absolutely beautiful cultural tradition. It’s been a joy for me personally to be part of it.”
Pacific Symphony is also holding a free Lunar New Year Lantern Festival on March 2 at the Segerstrom Concert Hall. Guests are encouraged to reserve their free tickets at PacificSymphony.org.
All the latest on Orange County from Orange County.
Get our free TimesOC newsletter.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Daily Pilot.
