Nai-Chung Kuan: New Century of the Dragon – Sun

Percussion: Wen-Hsien Wei, Yi-Shan Chen / Little Giant Chinese Chamber Orchestra, Tien-Ku Percussion Group / Chih-Sheng Chen / National Concert Hall, Taipei, Taiwan 2013.7.24

The dragon is a symbol that represents the Chinese. The first year of the 21st century happens to be the year of the dragon in Chinese culture. It is believed this will only happen once in three thousand years, and we are the lucky ones. The “New Century of the Dragon” brings new hopes and expectations for all. As a composer, I have turned my hopes and expectations into musical notes! In this “New Century of the Dragon”, two Chinese and Western percussionists are the lead players, demonstrating the spirit and soul of the Chinese. The music is divided into four movements, namely “Sun”, “Moon”, “Stars” and “Earth”. The first movement of this performance is the “Sun” which is the source of light and heat. It also represents faith and power.

(Translation: Kiah Mok Goh / Edit: Patty Chan)