Haiqiong Deng/FSU 22nd Annual Rainbow Concert of World Music_3/2_7:30 pm_Ruby Diamond
haiqiong deng
THE 22nd ANNUAL RAINBOW CONCERT OF WORLD MUSIC, featuring Haiqiong Deng
FSU Chinese Ensemble director and ethnomusicology doctoral student Haiqiong Deng will be the featured artist in this year's Rainbow Concert of World Music. Haiqiong's breathtaking virtuosity on the 21-string Chinese zheng zither is already well-known to Tallahassee audiences, but what folks in our community may not yet know is that Haiqiong is an internationally renowned zheng artist, indeed one of the foremost proponents of that instrument on the planet. Haiqiong burst onto the scene in 1995 as the winner of the National Zheng Competition of China. Since that time she has performed at Carnegie Hall, presented recitals throughout North America and Asia, appeared as a concerto soloist with major symphony orchestras, premiered commissioned works by leading Chinese and American composers, released two prize-winning albums, and been the recipient of numerous prestigious awards, including the 2017 Florida Cultural Heritage Award and the Ruby Chao Yeh Award of the Association for Chinese Music Research.
This fall, Haiqiong will be leaving Tallahassee to pursue her dissertation research in China, and before she goes, we want to give her a grand Tallahassee send-off by showcasing her talents in one of the most spectacular Rainbow Concerts ever. The show will feature Haiqiong performing not only with her own Chinese Ensemble, but also with the FSU Balinese Gamelan, Irish Ensemble, and Omnimusica intercultural ensemble -- and, for the closing act, tearing it up with the FSU Rock Ensemble! Two other very special guests will grace the Ruby Diamond stage for duets with Haiqiong as well: Indian sitar virtuoso (and Tallahassee resident) Nalini Vinayak and the great Chinese pipa player Yuxin Mei, who teaches Chinese music at the University of North Texas and is flying into Tallahassee just for this occasion. And if all that weren't enough, each of the other talented ensembles in the FSU World Music program--with participating students numbering in the triple digits--will get to strut their stuff too, from Charles Atkins and the Blues Lab to the Old Time, Andean, and Middle Eastern Ensembles.
Stamp your passport for a night of world music you will never forget at this year's 22nd annual Rainbow Concert!
Dear Tallahassee Friends,
Please come to the 22nd Annual Rainbow Concert of World Music on this Friday (3/2) 7:30pm at the Ruby Diamond Concert Hall.
I am so honored to be the featured artist this year and will be participating in eight pieces.
Three of my original compositions will be performed: "Layered Fantasy"--for Chinese Zheng and Indonesian Gamelan (2014); "Kora"-inspired by Sona Jobateh for FSU Omnimusica intercultural Ensemble (World Premiere); and "Rock the World: The Power of Powerful Music" for Chinese and Rock music (World Premiere).
Two special guests from outside of FSU will join us:
My guru sitarist Nalini Vinayak, percussionist Look Shiu Chung, and I will play one of Nalini's Carnatic Indian Music composition, "Memory" in the raga Keerwani.
The pipa soloist, Yuxin Mei, will fly all the way from Texas to play a Chinese classical duet with me, "The Moon is High."
I will also be playing with the Irish and Middle Eastern Ensembles, plus my own Chinese music ensemble, which will give a grand opening of the concert.
Our fantastic Blues Music Ensemble, Old Time Music Ensemble, as well as Andean Music Ensemble will also broaden the horizon of the music scope in this concert.
Please join us and have a wonderful journey of world music together!
P.S.: Please help us to spread the news of the event. Looking forward to seeing you there.
