Beijing Music Festival
UBS celebrates 16 years of support for the Beijing Music Festival, with world premiere performance by French pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Chinese conductor Huang Yi and the China Philharmonic Orchestra
UBS presented a special concert featuring performances by French pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Chinese conductor Huang Yi and the China Philharmonic Orchestra (CPO) at the 2019 Beijing Music Festival (BMF) on 14 October, celebrating a 16-year partnership between UBS and BMF. This year’s concert took place in a new and historic location; Shouhuang Gate at Jingshan Park in central Beijing, adjacent to the Forbidden City. The 2019 festival also featured the world premiere of Hollywood film composer Aaron Zigman’s new tango- based concerto for piano and orchestra, commissioned specially for BMF 2019.
“Our long-standing partnership with BMF is incredibly important to UBS. It allows us to promote classical music in China and provides unique opportunities for our clients and staff to experience performances by renowned musicians,” said Dr. Eugene Qian, President of UBS Securities in China.
“We are honored to receive the continued support of UBS. Our collaboration enables the festival to host an extraordinary line up of national and international musicians, who had performed great works by distinguished composers,” said Yu Long, Chairman of the Artistic Committee of the Beijing Music Festival.
Under the theme 'Tango – A concert of BMF Commissions', the 2019 concert began with Last Sacrifice, written by the Chinese American composer Zhou Long for the 2013 festival and performed this year by the CPO under conductor Huang Yi. The world premiere of Aaron Zigman’s Tango Manos Concerto for Piano and Orchestra followed, performed by Jean-Yves Thibaudet with Huang Yi and the CPO. The festival concluded with the Chinese operatic masterpiece, Song of Farewell, composed by Xiaogang Ye for BMF in 2010 and presented as a condensed symphonic piece this year by Huang Yi and the CPO.
“This was my third performance at the Beijing Music Festival and every time is more exciting. This year’s venue provided an iconic backdrop to the music, and I was particularly delighted to debut my friend Aaron Zigman’s new work,” said pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet.
“The Beijing Music Festival was an important moment for classical music in China and I was honored to participate for the second time. The festival offered a global platform to showcase the talented China Philharmonic Orchestra and provided an opportunity to collaborate with leading international musicians like Jean-Yves Thibaudet,” said Huang Yi, principal conductor of the China Philharmonic Orchestra
“I was thrilled to debut my new work at the Beijing Music Festival. I composed the work specifically with my friend Jean-Yves Thibaudet in mind, and I was so happy to see it performed in person for the first time,” said composer Aaron Zigman.
Upholding a long-standing commitment to community engagement, UBS regularly hosts events for its employees and Community Affairs partners. This year, UBS will host a ‘Lunch and Learn’ event for staff and performing artists and will invite students from Shunyi District Thirteenth Middle School to attend music activities.
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