The Chart Online

College welcomes concert
By Allison Rosewicz

Editor-in-Chief

Once again, Missouri Southern has the opportunity to experience another culture.

The Youth Symphony Orchestra of The Shanghai Conservatory of Music will perform a concert Tuesday in Taylor Auditorium. The concert begins at 7:30 p.m., and admission is free.

Dr. Kexi Liu, assistant professor of music, said the director of the youth orchestra, Zhang Mei, contacted him about coming to Missouri Southern to perform.

I felt very excited, Liu said. This is an excellent opportunity for the school to have this group here.

The orchestra will perform a program of traditional and modern musical works on Chinese and western instruments. Some of the Chinese instruments include a stringed instrument with a bow and a zheng, which is a pluck instrument. Liu said it is much different from a guitar. The Chinese bamboo flute will also be featured.

Included in the works will be the first performance of a Chinese violin concerto, The Liang & Zhu (Butterfly Lovers) Violin Concerto. Liu will be a guest soloist during the concerto.

The concerto is based on a traditional Chinese story, which is similar to Romeo and Juliet. Liu first performed this piece in February 1992 during his first recital at Southern.

I am excited to now perform it with the orchestra, he said.

Aaron Scriven, senior music education major, will join the orchestra by playing trumpet on one piece during the concerto. The two trumpet players who normally play with the orchestra were unable to obtain their visas, so another player had to come in their place.

I was actually pretty excited to be chosen to play, Scriven said. A group like that coming here and me getting to play with them is an excellent opportunity.

Rusty Raymond, band director, recommended Scriven for his expertise in playing with an orchestra. He performed with Southern s orchestra last year. That orchestra no longer exists because the director retired.

Scriven said although he recently received the music, he is not too concerned about the short amount of time to practice.

For me, I don t think it s going to be too hard, he said.

Scriven also expects the orchestra s concert to be impressive.

I figure if they re making the trip all the way here, they must have a great work ethic, he said.

The concert tour of the United States this year has included performances at Disneyland in Los Angeles, Memphis and St. Louis. Southern is the first stop where admission costs nothing.

This is a great cultural exchange for our students to learn about Chinese culture and music, Liu said. Our students have probably never heard these instruments before.

Founded in 1992, the Shanghai Conservatory is considered one of the best music schools in China. The orchestra consists of the conservatory s top students and faculty members.

The College is providing two apartments to house some of the instrumentalists, and 11 host families in Joplin will also provide homes.