One Hand to Shape the World
Yingdi Sun × Lan Shui × China National Symphony Orchestra
Ravel at 150: The Poetry of War, Life, and Art
Overview
To commemorate the 150th anniversary of Maurice Ravel’s birth, conductor Lan Shui, pianist Yingdi Sun, and the China National Symphony Orchestra join forces for a program that pays tribute to one of music’s most visionary composers.
Presented as part of the 9th Symphony Spring Festival at the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), this concert traverses Ravel’s luminous world — where impressionism, resilience, and tragedy intertwine in a symphony of color and emotion.
Program
Maurice Ravel
(1875–1937)
• Mother Goose Suite, M.60
A Baroque garden in slumber, where woodwinds and strings awaken dreams long forgotten.
• Piano Concerto for the Left Hand in D Major, M.82
“One Hand to Shape the World” – performed by Yingdi Sun
Written for Austrian pianist Paul Wittgenstein, who lost his right arm during World War I, this concerto is both a hymn and an elegy — a meditation on war, loss, courage, and rebirth.
Spanning the full 88 keys with a single hand, the work defies physical limitation, transforming human struggle into sublime artistry.
• Gabriel Fauré: Pelléas et Mélisande Suite, Op.80
The moonlit voices of harp and flute trace the secret language of Maeterlinck’s dream world.
• Ravel: Daphnis et Chloé, Suite No.2, M.57b
An ancient Greek dawn — the pastoral breath of life, shimmering with divine light.
About Maurice Ravel
One of the brightest constellations in the musical sky, Maurice Ravel combined the precision of the French school with Iberian fire and color.
“I am not a slave to any style,” he once declared. “My music evolves — it does not revolt.”
From the sensual rhythms of Rapsodie espagnole to the surreal visions of Gaspard de la nuit, Ravel’s work transcends time — an ever-shifting dialogue between intellect, imagination, and emotion. His innovations in harmony, timbre, and rhythm continue to shape modern music to this day.
Artists
Lan Shui — Conductor
Artistic Director, China National Symphony Orchestra
Renowned for his luminous sound and structural clarity, Lan Shui has held major posts with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, the Copenhagen Philharmonic, and the Taiwan Symphony Orchestra.
He has conducted leading orchestras worldwide, including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Orchestre National de France, and Swedish Radio Symphony.
Praised by Fanfare for transforming a regional orchestra into “a world-class ensemble,” Lan Shui stands as one of Asia’s most influential conductors on the international stage.
Yingdi Sun — Piano
Winner of the First Prize at the 7th International Franz Liszt Piano Competition, Yingdi Sun is celebrated for his poetic sensitivity and commanding virtuosity.
A graduate of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, he has performed with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, London Philharmonic, China Philharmonic, and numerous leading ensembles.
In Ravel’s Concerto for the Left Hand, Sun combines extraordinary technical mastery with profound emotional insight — embodying both the heroism and the humanity within the score.
China National Symphony Orchestra
Founded on the legacy of the Central Philharmonic Orchestra (est. 1956), the China National Symphony Orchestra (CNSO) is one of the country’s foremost cultural institutions.
Under the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the orchestra serves as China’s flagship symphonic ensemble, performing for national celebrations and diplomatic events while maintaining an active international touring schedule.
Its performances have graced five continents, bringing Chinese artistry to audiences around the world.
Concept