Audi ambassadors Yu Long and Lang Lang, the former a composer and the latter a solo pianist, will appear in a New Year performance that will be the final concert of the 2014 Audi Music Season that began in October.
The two will perform with the China Philharmonic Orchestra on Dec. 30, Tuesday, in accordance with the Silk Road theme decided upon by Yu.
Yu explained to the China Daily publication that his theme selection was fairly straightforward, as President Xi Jinping's establishment of the Silk Road Economic Belt in Sept. 2013 has been developed further this year.
In historical terms, the composer, who is nearly 50 years old, described a Silk Road trading route that "linked traders, merchants, pilgrims, monks, nomads and dwellers," and "was not only a trade route but was also important for the development of Chinese culture and civilization."
In ancient times, the Silk Road covered Central Asia and Russia to the Mediterranean Sea from its Chinese origin. Xi visited Kazakhstan to launch the Economic Belt initiative, and was followed by Premier Li Keqiang in Dec. 2014, when he engaged in further discussions with Kazakhstan and Serbia, as well as fellow members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).
Tuesday's concert will be held at the China National Convention Center and, in addition to Lang, will feature performances from soprano Lei Jia and some ethnic musicians.
Other concertos also form part of the program, and proceedings will open with Hector Berlioz's "Le Carnaval Romain," followed by the violin concerto "Sun Shining Over Toxkhurghon." The latter showcases the talents of Ma Qiaorong, age 13, and He Shucong, age 22, both of whom won gold prizes at the 2014 CCTV Violin Competition.