Celebrations of Krzysztof Penderecki’s 80th birthday in Beijing

The 16th Beijing Music Festival begins in early October. The festival presentations will last until the end of the month. The organizers decided to pay tribute to Krzysztof Penderecki, a long-standing friend of the festival. To mark the composer’s 80th birthday, his works will be performed at three concerts between 15 and 18 October. First, on 15 October, the China National Symphony Orchestra will perform the Serenade for String Orchestra, the Concerto for Viola and Chamber Orchestra, and Chaconne. The concert will be conducted by the composer with Cao Fei as a soloist. On 16 October, Penderecki and the China National Symphony Orchestra will perform the Double Concerto for Violin, Viola and Orchestra. Chinese violinist Vera Tsu Wei-ling and Lithuanian violist Julian Rachlin will also take part in the concert. A work by Penderecki will also be performed at a concert on 18 October, entitled “Shanghai Quartet Pays Tribute to the Masters Chamber music by Verdi, Wagner, Britten, Penderecki, Robert Aldridge and Zhou Long”.