JUST CAN’T WAIT
Though there are still several months to go before the Chinese New Year, several organizations in the US city of Chicago just couldn’t wait, so they teamed up on Tuesday to present their plans for next year’s celebration.
Symphony Center Presents of Chicago, the key presenter of the programs, announced that the fifth annual Chinese New Year concert will be held on February 10, 2019.
The concert will showcase performances by the Hubei Chime Bells National Chinese Orchestra and the China National Beijing Opera Company, featuring traditional Chinese music and renowned singers such as Yu Kuizhi and Li Shengsu.
The concert at the Chicago Symphony Center will be part of a city-wide, multi-week Chinese New Year celebration. “The upcoming Chinese New Year celebration is very significant, as 2019 ushers in the 40th anniversary of US-China relations,” said Liu Jun, acting consul general of the Chinese Consulate General in Chicago.
Liu further stated in an interview with the Xinhua News Agency that considering the current status of US-China relations, it is even more important to enhance cultural activities and exchanges, since “music has no borders, and cultural exchange helps deepen understanding between peoples.”
“Choose Chicago is thrilled to again be working with our partners at the Chicago Symphony Center to help present these exciting musicians and artists visiting our city to perform,” said Choose Chicago President and CEO David Whitaker.
Whitaker said that tourists from China constitute a very important part of Chicago tourism, and the city would like to attract more people from China.
“Chinese visitors are our ambassadors,” Whitaker said.
“Our annual Chinese New Year celebration concert has become a highly anticipated tradition at Symphony Center,” said Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association President Jeff Alexander.
“We are pleased to have the opportunity to present some of the best
artists from China.” Alexander said that the Chicago Symphony Orchestra would leave on its sixth performing tour to Shanghai and Beijing in January 2019.
“We love going to China, and we feel that the audiences in Shanghai and Beijing genuinely appreciate our concerts,” he said.
The Year of the Pig will begin on February 5, 2019.