Chinese string quartet debuts in New Zealand

WELLINGTON, April 26 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese string quartet Amber Quartet staged a maiden concert on Friday in Christchurch, the largest city of New Zealand's South Island.

Friday's concert, presented by artists from the Central Conservatory of Music of China, was a leg of their debut tour in New Zealand, along with two other concerts on Wednesday and Thursday in Picton and Blenheim.

The local audience not only enjoyed masterpieces of Eastern and Western classics, but also had the opportunity to appreciate the joint performances by the Amber Quartet, one of China's most celebrated string quartets, and the artists from Christchurch, said Chinese Consul General in Christchurch He Ying.

The concert definitely helped enhance cultural exchanges and mutual understanding between the two peoples, He said, adding that the performance was also one of a series of activities to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the China-New Zealand comprehensive strategic partnership.

Over the years, Amber Quartet has been committed to development and innovation of the integration of Chinese folk music and Western classical music, enjoying high reputation in the music world both at home and abroad, she said.

Yang Yichen, Amber Quartet's cellist, said there is a large fan base for classical music in New Zealand.

Amber Quartet played Mendelssohn's String Quartet No 6 in F Minor, Op 80, and Mozart's String Quartet No 19 in C Major, K 465, as well as Chinese Folk Song Suite for String Quartet, a new piece by composer Guo Wenjing, during their New Zealand tour.

The Suite for String Quartet was originated from folk songs of different parts of China, including Sichuan province, and the Xizang and Inner Mongolia autonomous regions, for audiences to experience various natural landscapes in China such as mountains, grasslands and rivers.

At the concert, Amber Quartet also cooperated with Christchurch musician Mark Menzies by playing his composition, The Hidden Glass Queen's Adorable Illusion.

Founded in 2005 at the Central Conservatory of Music, Amber Quartet represents the highest level of chamber music in China.

Grateful for the efforts to "bring this audio-visual feast to South Island," Consul General He said more high-level cultural delegations from China will be invited to provide co-performances with local artists in order to further deepen friendship and jointly create a better future for China-New Zealand relations.

With the theme of "the art of collaboration," the event was co-hosted by the Chinese consulate general in Christchurch, the Chinese Network of International Culturalink Entities, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of China, and the China Cultural Center in Wellington.