Li-Wei Qin performs Elgar’s Cello Concerto with
Ningbo Symphony Orchestra
Elgar Special Concert — Ningbo Symphony Orchestra 2018–19 Season
March 24, 2019 (Sunday), 19:30 · Ningbo Grand Theatre
Overview
The Elgar Special Concert of the Ningbo Symphony Orchestra’s 2018–19 Season presents three of the composer’s most emblematic works, culminating in his deeply introspective Cello Concerto in E minor.
Li-Wei Qin, one of today’s leading cellists, brings to this masterwork a rare blend of poetic sensitivity and technical command. Written in the aftermath of World War I, Elgar’s concerto is often described as “lonelier than fireworks” — an elegy to a vanished world, filled with melancholy beauty and human tenderness.
Through Qin’s interpretation, the work becomes both intimate confession and universal lament, tracing Elgar’s emotional landscape between resignation and hope.
Program
Edward Elgar (1857–1934)
Pomp and Circumstance March No.1 in D major, Op.39
Edward Elgar
Cello Concerto in E minor, Op.85
Edward Elgar
Enigma Variations, Op.36
Artists
Xia Xiaotang · Conductor
A leading conductor of his generation, Xia Xiaotang is Professor of Conducting at the Central Conservatory of Music, Chief Conductor of the China Youth Symphony Orchestra, and Resident Conductor of the China Philharmonic Orchestra.
Winner of the Second National Conducting Competition (First Prize), Xia is known for his precise technique and passionate interpretations. He has conducted nearly all of China’s major professional orchestras — including the Guangzhou Symphony, Beijing Symphony, Shanghai Philharmonic, and Shenzhen Symphony — and collaborated with numerous distinguished soloists and composers.
A graduate of the Central Conservatory of Music, Xia studied under Professor Yu Feng and began teaching there upon graduation, becoming one of the youngest faculty members in the Conservatory’s history. His conducting style has been praised for its clarity, emotional depth, and modern sensibility.
Li-Wei Qin · Cello
A laureate of the Tchaikovsky and Naumburg Competitions, Li-Wei Qin has established himself as one of the world’s most captivating cellists. He has performed with orchestras including the London Symphony, BBC Symphony, Melbourne Symphony, and China Philharmonic, under conductors such as Sir Andrew Davis, Vladimir Ashkenazy, and Long Yu.
His interpretations of Elgar’s Cello Concerto — recorded with the London Philharmonic Orchestra for Decca— have been widely acclaimed for their “ravishing tone and poetic gravitas.” (Gramophone).