Keystone Magazine Learning the Keystone Way 2015-2016 EN | Page 127

A Growing Community
S
pring, its scintillat-
ing blossoms and
soothing breeze,
has inspired many
an artist. Botticelli’s
Primavera, Brown’s
The Pretty Baa-Lambs, Monet’s
Springtime, van Gogh’s Almond
Blossom are just a few of the
stupendous manifestations
on canvas that come to mind.
Meanwhile, Vivaldi’s Four Sea-
sons, Schumann’s Spring Sym-
phony, Mendelssohn’s Spring
Song and others are classical
aural delights. From canvases to
compositions, spring is magical.
To recreate some of this spring
magic, Beijing’s Keystone Acad-
emy brought together three
artists on 22 May who presented
the 1500 people in the audience
with an unmatched sensation
of spring through music and
song. Backed by the China Na-
tional Broadcasting and Film
Symphony Orchestra, renowned
pianist, Li Yundi, famous operatic
tenor, Warren Mok, and violin vir-
tuoso and conductor, Chai Liang,
transformed Melodies of Spring:
A Concert from an outdoor
concert to an out-of-the-world
experience.
Yundi closed the evening with
an enthralling performance
of Chopin. Audiences were so
mesmerized that they request-
ed an encore, which Li Yundi
responded to with Chopin’s
Nocturne Op.9. No.2. It was an
especially enchanting evening
for residential staff and students
because, as many of them said,
it is such a special experience
and privilege to attend a con-
cert in one’s own home. And
for those who do not live in the
Keystone residences, they defi-
nitely went home filled with the
bliss and beauty of spring.
This musical extravaganza is
part of the Keystone Classical
Music Series that is a platform
to appreciate the arts in its
many forms, including ballet,
music, and ancient art tradi-
tions such as Kun Qu. It also
enriches the school's academic
and social ethos, especially for
our students, by strengthening
creativity, encouraging cultural
fluency, and exposing them to
the best and talented in diverse
fields and disciplines.
Set in the center of the impres-
sive residential campus, the
concert was both intimate and
grand. The evening began with
a few classical pieces performed
by the Symphony Orchestra
starting with the John Williams’
Olympic Fanfare and Theme,
followed by Bizet’s The Carmen
Suites. Tenor Mok, then, took
the stage with a riveting rendi-
tion of Wang Luobin’s Faraway
and Eduardo Di Capua’s Neapol-
itan composition ‘O Sole Mio’. Li
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