Tibetan Philharmonic Orchestra
- Source: Global Times
- [08:26 December 29 2010]
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At an age when many of his peers entered monasteries, 12-year-old Penba, driven by his love of music, joined a Tibetan opera troupe. And, he has never looked back.
Over four decades, his love has taken him to universities in Beijing and Shanghai, and he has performed for increasingly large crowds across China.
Now, at 50, Penba is the chief conductor of the Tibetan Philharmonic Orchestra, one of China's few philharmonic orchestras made up of ethnic minority musicians. He led his 68-member orchestra to southwest China's Chongqing Municipality last week, bringing plateau music to Western China's Symphony Week.
Most of the pieces, composed by native Tibetan artists, had a quick tempo: "Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon," "Sherpa Dance Music," "Hometown Sentiment" and "Festival de la Valse."
As a special treat, their repertoire also included "Pleasant Sunrise," a classical piece, which the people of Chongqing simply adore. Their performances at the Chongqing Grand Theater Thursday night evoked rapturous acclaim and ignited in the audience an enthusiasm for Tibetan folk art and culture.
"It's such a delight!" said university teacher Gan Lu who has visited Tibet twice. She went to the concert with her fianc .
Overwhelmed by the prolonged applause, again and again, Penba bowed to the enthusiastic audience. "We were fully prepared and confident this time," he said.
Dream fulfilled
When the orchestra performed at the National Grand Theater in Beijing's Tian'anmen Square in April, Penba admitted he was nervous.
"As the conductor, I was the last one to appear on the stage. While waiting, I saw that I would not be able to see the audience through the backstage screen," he said. "That was tough. But I told myself that I had to do my best even if no one was watching."
When the orchestra finished its last piece, Penba was awestruck by the thundering applause. "As I turned around and faced the audience, I felt that my childhood dream had come true. I was so proud to be a Tibetan."
It was the first time ever that the orchestra of 66 Tibetans with a Muslim Hui and a Han - both born and brought up in Tibet - performed outside of their home on the plateau.
Along with the Western orchestral instruments, the troupe added Tibetan sounds to their performances - yak-horn pipes, traditional percussion instruments from the Potala Palace, 4-meter-long Tibetan bugles and banjo-like stringed instruments.
