Two musical worlds collide

Though China and the U.S. have recently had trouble finding common ground, Chinese Ambassador to the United States Yang Jiechi fit in seamlessly as he sat at the Penn Orchestra-Beijing Opera performance last Thursday evening. "This is the first symphony performance I have enjoyed since my arrival," Jiechi said. "What I am pleased about is that Beijing Opera is a very important symbol of our culture and now it is being recognized in America." Irvine Auditorium was packed with students and a large number of international guests, including Chinese reporters and musicians, all eagerly awaiting the results of the musical fusion uniting eastern and western music. The performance began with traditional western pieces, including a violin concerto performed by College senior Talitha West-Katz, winner of the University Concerto Competition. After the intermission, the orchestra accompanied Beijing Opera singer Sun Ping on several pieces from two Beijing operas. This marked the first time that a Western orchestra performed a Chinese opera using all its own instruments. "This musical experiment has never been done by anyone, not even the national troupe in China," Ping said. "The fact that a student troupe are the ones doing it is very significant." The program was a collaboration of the Penn Music Department, the Graduate School of Education and Ping herself. As it enters new musical territory, the department is still trying to figure out how to best blend the distinct sounds of the two musical cultures. "It is perhaps the beginning of many more special events like this, and [Ping] is a very important source for making that happen," Music Department Chairman Gary Tomlinson said. "We are looking forward to future collaboration between China and Penn." For the past several months, the orchestra has had to overcome many hurdles -- including translating the Chinese scores and rewriting the music. "It has a different sound from Western music," said Kathy Behling, orchestra member and a fourth-year Veterinary School student. "It's hard to play because we haven't grown up hearing it and the harmonies come out very different." The next step in the process to merge the two musical cultures will be the orchestra's tour of China in May, when it will perform in Beijing and Shanghai. "I've never been to China," orchestra member and Engineering freshman Tracy Yuen said. "My mom's from there and it will be an incredible experience to see where she grew up and learn about a part of my culture that I haven't really been exposed to."