Members of the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company will perform in the world premiere of a new work by Angel Lam on a Quad City Symphony program also featuring “The Rite of Spring.” Photo courtesy of Quad City Symphony Orchestra.
In Saturday’s (1/31) Quad Cities News (Iowa), Linda Cook writes, “The Quad City Symphony Orchestra will present Masterworks IV: ‘The Rite of Spring,’ featuring the world premiere of Angel Lam’s ‘Unearthing the Heart: The Thousand Grottoes of Dunhuang.’ ” Led by Music Director Mark Russell Smith, the program, which also features Stravinsky’s “Rite of Spring,” will be presented on Feb. 7 and 8. “Unearthing the Heart: The Thousand Grottoes of Dunhuang” was commissioned by the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation Orchestral Commissions Program, an initiative of the League of American Orchestras in partnership with the American Composers Orchestra. “This evocative new work will feature dancers of the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company, choreographed by … Zhongmei Li … Lam and Li re-imagine the ancient cave murals of Dunhuang, one of the Silk Road’s most significant artistic and spiritual crossroads through a fusion of orchestral color, dance, and visual storytelling…. ‘To be chosen as the lead orchestra in this League of American Orchestras commissioning consortium, and to present the world premiere of Angel Lam’s new work, is a profound honor. Bringing this powerful piece to life in the Quad Cities speaks to the artistic ambition of our community,’ said Brian Baxter, executive director, Quad City Symphony Orchestra.”
