'Celebrate Asia!' brings rich cultures together to share one theme: love

Sometimes it's in the differences between cultures that one finds what people have in common. "Celebrate Asia!," a Seattle event that debuted last year and was conceived, according to a Seattle Symphony news release, by "local Asian leaders [who] wanted to find a way to strengthen bonds with the broader community through a cultural celebration," is a case in point.

With the second "Celebrate Asia!," and its many vibrant offerings, unfolding this Friday at Benaroya Hall, the musical traditions of China, Vietnam, Japan, Korea, India and the Philippines will join a few from the West in an exploration of a universal theme: love.

The Seattle Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of former associate conductor Carolyn Kuan, and in collaboration with several exciting guest artists, will perform a truly eclectic program of musical selections from various Asian countries as well as from Bizet and Mendelssohn.

Additionally, preconcert performances by students from the Liên Tâm Vietnamese Music Academy; Filipino guitarist Angelo Pizarro; and Chinese lion dancers from Belltown Martial Arts will add to the festive spirit of the night. Japanese taiko drummers will play after the concert. KING 5 news anchor Lori Matsukawa will host.

" 'Celebrate Asia!' began as a community event to engage Asians in a greater awareness of classical music," says the Taiwan-born Kuan, speaking by phone from New York. "At the same time, we wanted to raise awareness of Eastern cultures for a Western audience."

That multipronged initiative — an East-West exchange and a concert for the community by the community — was sparked by Kuan's experiences conducting a Chinese New Year program for the San Francisco Symphony for several years. During discussions with the Seattle Symphony board the possibility of doing something similar here, the idea expanded to be inclusive of all Asian cultures. That goal was furthered this year with the addition of Indian and Filipino performers.

Kuan found programming the event and establishing its thematic coherence to be "exciting. It's been very interesting balancing all the cultures."

Kuan's idea for this year was exploring "many different kinds of love."

The somewhat startling second piece in the concert (following "Jai Ho" from the film "Slumdog Millionaire") is the "Wedding March" from Mendelssohn's "A Midsummer Night's Dream." Yes, it's that "Wedding March," the familiar melody accompanying countless marriage ceremonies for years and years.

"We all know the music," says Kuan, "though most people don't know it's Mendelssohn." It's a good way to start the show, she says, with everyone recognizing a piece so strongly associated with love.

Guest artist Li Bo, born in Inner Mongolia and a master of the morin khuur (horsehead fiddle), will perform "The Tale of Matou Qin," the story of a boy who loves his horse so much he derives from it the very instrument Li plays.

Other selections include "Arirang," a singalong Korean piece also familiar to some Chinese, Kuan says. Excerpts from Bizet's "Carmen" are also on the bill, as is the overture to Franz von Suppe's "Light Cavalry" and Gang Chen and Zhanhao He's "The Butterfly Lovers." The latter concerto, Kuan says, is a Chinese version of "Romeo and Juliet."

Other guest musicians include Indian/Bollywood band Farmaaish and Chinese violinist Chuanyun Li.

More information about the evening can be found on www.celebrateasia.org.

Tom Keogh: tomwkeogh@yahoo.com