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Annual Yale Cellos Event - rehearsal

Annual Yale Cellos Event, directed by Aldo Parisot, April 2010
Sprague Memorial Hall, Yale University






See Carnegie Hall Slideshow

Carnegie Hall New York premiere, November 7, 2009
Awakening from a Disappearing Garden
"Angel Lam performs a narration to accompany the musical images that inspired
her work."      Photo courtesy of Carnegie Hall ©2009 Chris Lee






Photo courtesy of Carnegie Hall
©2009 Chris Lee




Interview and filming with Best Buy, Inc., Creative Minds







Silk Road, Silk Road (2006, 2010)







"Cellist Yo-Yo Ma, Music Director Robert Spano, and
Composer Angel Lam receive a standing ovation for
Awakening from a Disappearing Garden"       ©2009 Chris Lee






Premiere of The Burning Babe, St. John's Cathedral
Los Angeles, December 13, 2008






Silk Road Chicago, Symphony Center, April 20, 2007
Empty Mountain, Spirit Rain
Jonathan Gandelsman, violin; Yo-Yo Ma, cello;
Shane Shanahan, crotales and dumbek; Mark Suter, marimba
DaXun Zhang, double bass; Kojiro Umezaki, shakuhachi






Midnight Runner, April 14-15, 2007
Theater production for dance, visual projections, narration and music
Mentored by Martha Clarke
Choreographed by Peabody Dance Director Carol Bartlett








Carnegie Hall debut and premiere, September 16, 2006





Tanglewood Music Center, Seiji Ozawa Hall, September 13, 2006
First public presentation of Empty Mountain, Spirit Rain
"Tradition and Innovation: New Music for the Silk Road Ensemble"








2007 ASCAP Concert Music Awards Ceremony
Morton Gould Young Composer Award
Lincoln Center, New York





2008 ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer Award
Times Center, New York





2008 ASCAP Awards Ceremony, Jazz at Lincoln Center
New York, December 10


Interviews and the Press
Financial Times, The decade the world titled east, by Niall Ferguson, December 28, 2009 See article

"I must send my deepest gratitude to Professor Ferguson of Harvard University.....
The gate of Shan Hai Guan--the most important defensive fortress at the northern border of the Great Wall..." (show story) (hide story)

I must send my deepest gratitude to Professor Ferguson of Harvard University who was so kind to include my name in his article "The Decade the World Tilted East" in Financial Times on Dec 28, 2009.

Mesmerized, that was how Mr. Ferguson described his feelings. This reminded me of a female character in Chinese history that mesmerizes and inspires me, Chen Yuan-yuan.

After the Mongols were driven back to their own territories (the fall of Yuan dynasty), the Middle Kingdom rebuilt their Great Wall. For hundreds of years, those Northern Barbarians could no longer invade the Middle Soil.

Then came a girl. A singer, poet, musician and painter. Her name is Chen Yuan-yuan. She broke the rules. The gate of Shan Hai Guan--the most important defensive fortress at the northern border of the Great Wall, was opened, because of her. The Manchurians came marching in, all the way into the capital Beijing, like going home. The year was 1644.

The Manchurians (Qi-ren, people of Qi clans) had a population of not more than a million, but their counterpart, Middle Kingdom, had 123 million. The Old Empire seemed to be beaten down by a single woman. History blamed Yuan-yuan for the fall of the Empire into foreign hands.

But no, the story has not ended yet; the most fantastic part is still beyond human imagination.

Three hundred and five years later, the Manchurians had completely disappeared from our world. The Manchurians were eaten up by the Middle Kingdom--they lost their languages, words, culture, and even abandoned their surnames.

The Middle Kingdom had doubled in size after Ming dynasty, but official Chinese history don't want to talk about her, because....it is true.


I must send my thanks again. Mr. Ferguson had given me great encouragement. The road sometimes feels like a blind run in the midnight sky. All alone, with a destination that is abstract and difficult to reach.

My mother who came to visit Yale two years ago, cried when she saw my humble living. "It is so convenient to have a small place." I explained. I insisted to burn my youth in a small room where I cook, eat, and compose in the same spot.

His words had strengthened my artistic pursuit and I must work harder and harder.



American Scholar Magazine, June 2009 (interview) See article

Carnegie Hall Playbill, October 2009 (interview) See article

Gramophone North America, October 2009 special edition (interview) See article

American Symphony Magazine, August 2009 (interview)

Cathay Pacific Airline The Club magazine, August 2009 See article

Wen Wei Po (Chinese language newspaper, China / Hong Kong), October 4, 2009 (interview)

Atlanta Journal Constitution, October 2009 (interview) Preview

Atlanta Journal Constitution, October 2009 (interview) Review

Spinner.com Off the Map, October 2009 (interview) See article

Yalie of the Week, Yale Alumni Magazine, October 15, 2009 See article

TimeOut New York, October 2009 (interview) See article

Musical America, Artist of the Month, November 2009 (interview) See article

ConcertoNet.com, November 8, 2009 Review

New York Times, November 9, 2009 Review

Carnegie Hall "Ancient Paths, Modern Voices" Blogs, November 2009 See blogs

Interview and filming with Best Buy, Inc., Creative Minds, November 18-21, 2009 - Minneapolis, MN
In Search of Seasons with the Minnesota Orchestra

          
 

Recent Events:

Minnesota Orchestra "Inside Classics"
In Search of Seasons - Autumn
Inside the Classics concerts explore masterpieces inspired by the four seasons March 10-11, 2010

"An entertaining tour of the four seasons as portrayed in music by Vivaldi, Astor Piazzolla and contemporary Russian composer Alexander Raskatov. Hosted by Orchestra violist Sam Bergman and co-hosted by Principal Pops and Presentations Conductor Sarah Hicks, the Orchestra will perform excerpts from works by Messiaen, Haydn, Tchaikovsky and Angel Lam, an alumna of the Minnesota Orchestra Composer Institute."
          
 
The Annual Yale Cellos Event directed by Aldo Parisot
The Emperor's Eight Thousand Women Ghosts
April 20, 2010, Morse Recital Hall in Sprague Memorial Hall, Yale University
For 16 cellos and piano
Storyteller: Angel Lam
          
 
Silk Road Ensemble East Asia tour with Empty Mountain, Spirit Rain, April 2010
Seoul, South Korea
Thailand Cultural Centre, Bangkok, Thailand
Esplanade Concert Hall, Singapore
Macao S.A.R., China
Taiwan
          
 
Commission from Hong Kong Arts Festival 2010
Additional movement in Silk Road, Silk Road, written for Kings Harmonica Quintet
Performance: February 26, 2010, Hong Kong City Hall Concert Hall

Silk Road, Silk Road
I. Mirage, elevation 12,000 feet
II. Baby camel walk
III. Mirage on the train

          
 
Minnesota Orchestra, November 21, 2009, Future Classics Concert
Performance of In Search of Seasons, for orchestra
Conducted by Music Director Osmo Vänskä

November 17-22, 2009, highlighted by Saturday, November 21's Future Classics Concert
Participation and performance in The Minnesota Orchestra Composer Institute

Concert review on Pioneer Press, TwinCities.com


Go to Minnesota Public Radio webpage & review        Play video clips
          
 
Commission from Carnegie Hall and Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
A new work for cello and orchestra with narration, Awakening from a Disappearing Garden

The world premiere will be given by Yo-Yo Ma and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Robert Spano in the Atlanta Symphony Center on October 15, 2009. A second performance will be held on October 16, 2009. The New York premiere will be given by Yo-Yo Ma, Robert Spano and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra in Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage, Carnegie Hall, New York City on November 7, 2009.

See:
Carnegie Hall Event Description and New York Times Season Announcement
Carnegie Hall China Festival press release:   English    Chinese
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra's Gallery
          
 
CD New Release:  Off the Map, performed by Silk Road Ensemble
Brand new recording of Empty Mountain, Spirit Rain

Released in France, Germany, England Sept-Nov 2009
United States release October 2009

See Off the Map on sale in all major stores

See Spinner.com interview
          
 
Performance at Royal Albert Hall, London
Silk Road Ensemble performs Empty Mountain, Spirit Rain
On September 11, 2009, with Live broadcast on BBC Radio 3
          
 
Commission from Norfolk Chamber Music Festival
A new chamber work to be premiered at the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival
Yale Summer Music Festival on July 25, 2009, written for violin, cello and piano
          
 
EarShot and Colorado Symphony Orchestra
July 16-17, 2009, Colorado Symphony Orchestra Readings, In Search of Seasons, for orchestra
Conducted by Delta David Gier

On Friday, July 17, 2009, 10am-12:30pm it is open to the public
The Colorado Symphony Orchestra New Music Readings will be held at the Boettcher Concert Hall
At the Denver Performing Arts Complex, 1000 14th Street, Denver, CO
          
 
Empty Mountain, Spirit Rain
Silk Road Ensemble North American tour
Symphony Hall, Boston, MA
Hill Auditorium, Ann Arbor, MI
Orchestra Hall, Minneapolis, MN
Thomson Hall, Toronto, Canada

Concert review EDGE Boston - March 10, 2009
          
 
Commission from the Festival of Lessons and Carols at Loyola High, Los Angeles
A new composition for the Lessons and Carols Services to take place at St. John's Cathedral in Los Angeles
Premieres Saturday, December 13, 2008, 8pm St. Johns Cathedral
See Concert Poster

A work for SATB choir, orchestra and organ
Text based on 16th century Saint Robert Southwell's evocative poem The Burning Babe
          
 
New York University Symphony Orchestra performs Her Thousand Years Dance
"An Evening with the Jacobsen Brothers and Friends" and the NYU Symphony, conducted by Joseph Bongiorno

December 5, 2008, 8pm, Frederick Loewe Theatre, NYU
With featured soloists Eric Jacobsen, cello, and Kojiro Umezaki, shakuhachi
Click here for details
          
 
Orchestral Performance at Yale University, Yale Philharmonia
A composition inspired by the four seasons, and memories of those that she had shared the seasons with
Premieres November 20, 2008, 8pm, Woolsey Hall      *Read about the new In Search of Seasons
          
 
Billboard Magazine
2008 ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer Award photo featured in Billboard
See Featured page of ASCAP Award Ceremony

Billboard Magazine
          
 
2008 ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer Award Winner
Winning work Sun, Moon, and Star           
 
Commission work for Svet Stoyanov
Solo composition written for marimba, vibraphone, crotales and gongs featuring virtuosic percussionist Svet Stoyanov
Rising young soloist with concerts featured across the continent, see Svet's bio with Concert Artist Guild.
          
 
Commission from Orange County Women's Chorus
Premieres March 30, 2008, 4 pm. Huntington Beach, CA

Oh Stars, from the Abyss (a letter from Qiu Jin)
A choral work for women's choir and instrumental ensemble
Inspired by the essays and poetry of hopes and struggles of early 20th century Chinese heroine Qin Jin.
OCWC website
          
 
Yale New Music New Haven
April 2, 2008, 8 pm, Yale University Sprague Concert Hall

Her Thousand Years Dance (2007, 08)
For solo cello, non-Western flutes, percussion and string orchestra

Laura Usiskin, cello
Sabatino Scirri, ocarina/ bansuri/ korean flute/ alto flute/ C flute
     and members of Yale Philharmonia Orchestra, conducted by Julian Pellicano
          
 
Carnegie Hall and Saratoga Springs, NY performances
Empty Mountain, Spirit Rain, Performed by ENSEMBLE ACJW
The Academy—-A Program of Carnegie Hall, The Juilliard School, and The Weill Music Institute

Friday, February 15, 2008 at 8:00 p.m.
Filene Recital Hall at Skidmore College    See poster

Monday, February 18, 2008 at 7:00 p.m.
Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall    see event /box office
          
 
Performance by Lakeside Pride Orchestra, Chicago
February 10, 2008, 7pm at Unity Lutheran Church
1212 W. Balmoral (corner of Balmoral and Magnolia)

In Search of Seasons, for string quartet and orchestra
Conducted by Kim Diehnelt, Details
          
 
Featured interview by CASH
"Musical Encounters" Interview with Angel Lam
CASHFLOW magazine, January 2008 Issue, Composers and Authors Society of Hong Kong
          
 
"Sound Insights" at Carnegie Hall
Angel's Sun, Moon, and Star and Empty Mountain, Spirit Rain are up for listening at Carnegie Hall's website, click here to check it out.           
 
Commission from Greenwich Village Orchestra, Manhattan, New York
Her Thousand Years Dance... (10/2007)

Premieres in New York City, in a concert titled "Spiritual"      See concert review
performed by soloists Eric Jacobsen (cello) and Kojiro Umezaki (shakuhachi)*

Sunday, November 18, 2007 at 3:00 p.m., Washington Irving Auditorium   GVO poster

*both soloists are members of the Silk Road Ensemble and the Silk Road Project
Location: 40 Irving Place --at the southeast corner of Irving Place and 17th Streets in Manhattan
For tickets visit: gvo.org
          
 
Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble China tour, 2007
Concert Program:    English     Chinese
Yo-Yo Ma's interview with Ongaku-no-tomo magazine(Japan) on China tour, preview to Japan tour

October 2, 2007    Opening Ceremony of the Special Olympics, Shanghai Stadium, Shanghai
October 4, 2007    Shanghai Oriental Art Centre, Shanghai
October 5, 2007    Grand Theatre, Suzhou Science and Cultural Arts Centre, Suzhou
October 9, 2007    Concert Hall, Hong Kong Cultural Centre, Hong Kong
October 12, 2007   Forbidden City Concert Hall, Beijing
          
 
Commission from Hong Kong Sinfonietta
In Search of Seasons (8/2007)

For orchestra and string quartet, featuring Australia's Grainger Quartet with the Hong Kong Sinfonietta,
conducted by artistic director Yip Wing-Sie, in a concert that celebrates the birthday of Elgar, Stravinsky, Hong Kong, and much more!

See promotional leaflet

October 5, 2007, Friday at 8 pm, Hong Kong City Hall Concert Hall
          
 
CD New Release:  New Impossibilities, by Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble
Barnes and Nobles Exclusive Edition bonus CD Empty Mountain, Spirit Rain

Release date July 31, 2007
Recorded live in a concert at Chicago Symphony Center Orchestra Hall, April 2007

Purchase CD here (from Barnes and Nobles)
          
 
Interview with WFMT Chicago, a Production for National Broadcast
The 2 hour radio production to be released concurrent with Silk Road Ensemble's latest CD
Check Crossover Media for an updated broadcast listings nationwide.

The production features interview of Yo-Yo Ma, members of the Silk Road Ensemble, and selected composers.  Listen to Angel tell the story behind "Empty Mountain, Spirit Rain" through this broadcast.
          
 
Performances in Miami Beach and West Palm Beach, Miami
Empty Mountain, Spirit Rain performed by Project Copernicus
Concert reviews:
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Miami Herald
Palm Beach Post

Featured articles: Palm Beach Post
Miami Herald
Saturday, August 25, 8:00 pm
Arts at St. Johns, Miami Beach

Sunday, August 26, 4:00 pm
Holy Trinity Episcopal Church
211 Trinity Place, West Palm Beach

Project Copernicus opens its second season with Asian inspired music featuring Project Copernicus percussionist Rod Squance. Call 305.432.4729 or e-mail info@projectcopernicus.org for ticket information
          
 
NACUSA (National Association of Composers U.S.A.)
2007 National Concert, NYC
Imagery of Water, winning work

Performed by New York City's acclaimed North/South Consonance Ensemble, under Max Lifchitz's direction

June 4, 2007, 8pm, Christ and St. Stephen's Church
The program will feature New York premiere of the winning compositions in the 2005 NACUSA Young Composers Competition.
It will also include music by Beth Andreson, Marylin Ziffrin, Daniel Kessner, David Lefkowitz and Daniel Adams.
          
 
ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer Award 2007
Award ceremony takes place on May 24, 2007, at the Walter Reade Theater at Lincoln Center, New York City
 
New Carnegie Hall Commission
In a two-part workshop, Grammy awards winning composer Osvaldo Golijov and soprano Dawn Upshaw will guide selected composers through the collaborative process to work with singers, from its conception to the final performance at Carnegie Hall. The November sessions will focus on readings of excerpts of the new piece. The April sessions will focus on performance preparation.

Sun, Moon, and Star  (2007)
for two vocalists, violin, cello, double bass, percussion and piano
Premiere: Carnegie Hall Weill Recital Hall, April 14-15, 2007
          
 
  New Theatre Work Premieres April 14-15, 2007


Read featured articles
Peabody Magazine
Johns Hopkins Magazine
This work is mentored by American theatre artist Martha Clarke, in collaboration with choreographer Carol Bartlett (director of Peabody Dance) to create a theater piece inspired by my childhood memory, titled Midnight Run.

The story about a midnight running beauty...read the story

Premiere: Midnight Run
A Collaborative Showcase: choreography, music, and visual projections
Miriam A. Friedberg Concert Hall, Peabody Conservatory
April 14, 2007, 7:30 pm and April 15, 2007, 3:00 pm
Peabody Box Office: 410-659-8100 ext. 2

The "New Works" is a collaborative project with composers, singers, actors, dancers and visual artists from Peabody Conservatory, Preparatory, and the Baltimore community, mentored by distinguished guest artist Martha Clarke

Music composed by Angel Lam; Choreography by Carol Bartlett; Story, sources and design by Angel Lam and Carol Bartlett
Director, Choreographer Martha Clarke; Artistic Producer Carol Bartlett
          

WYPR 88.1 "Maryland Morning" Interview
On Monday, April 9, at 9:40am, culture editor and renowed choral conductor Tom Hall interviews Angel and composer Libby Larsen about women in the music world, their new work and Angel's new collaboration with dance, music, and video projections that will be performed at Peabody Conservatory that weekend on April 14 and 15.
          
 

Yo-Yo Ma and The Silk Road Ensemble tours with Empty Mountain, Spirit Rain
U.S. 2007 Spring Tour, Switzerland's Lucerne Festival, China

Concert Schedule:

March 10, 2007, at 4:00 PM
Presented by University of California Santa Barbara Arts & Lectures
Arlington Theater, 1317 State Street, Santa Barbara

March 13, 2007, at 7:30 PM
Presented by the Seattle Symphony Orchestra
Benaroya Hall, Seattle

March 17, 2007, 8:00 PM
Presented by Cal Performances
Zellerbach Hall, Berkeley, CA

Kojiro Umezaki, shakuhachi
Jonathan Gandelsman, violin
Yo-Yo Ma, cello
Jeffrey Beecher, double bass
Shane Shanahan, crotales and dumbek
Mark Suter, marimba


April 20, 2007 at 8:00 PM
Symphony Center, Chicago
220 South Michigan Avenue

Kojiro Umezaki, shakuhachi
Jonathan Gandelsman, violin
Yo-Yo Ma, cello
DaXun Zhang, double bass
Shane Shanahan, crotales and dumbek
Mark Suter, marimba
August 25, 2007, Concert Hall, 10:00 PM
At Switzerland's renowned Lucerne Festival (established in 1938 with a gala concert conducted by Arturo Toscanini,
the Festival attracts the foremost performers from around the world and draws 100,000 visitors each year.)
Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble, "Silk Road Journeys: When Strangers Meet"

Visit:
Silk Road Project Winter 2007 Newsletter
Silk Road Chicago

See Past Seasons