China’s Three Tenors will perform with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra at Usher Hall for one night only tonight Friday 3 August, 7.30pm. And we were very fortunate to meet these three hugely talented artistes this morning.
They are clearly very happy in each other’s company and whilst Warren did most of the talking we were enchanted when they suddenly struck up a snippet of a song in the coffee lounge at the Caley, much to the delight of the hotel staff and residents!
Formed in 2011, ten years on from the original Three Tenor’s concert in the Chinese capital Beijing, the trio comprises China’s most celebrated tenors: Dai Yuqiang, Wei Song and Warren Wah-lun Mok. Their world tour began in October, with the premier concert being held in the city of Beijing, followed by performances in Hong Kong, Macau and New York. After Edinburgh they will be performing in Freiburg and Cologne.
Dai Yuqiang (on the right above) was Luciano Pavarotti’s first and only Chinese student, while Wei Song (on the left above) is known in the People’s Republic as ‘China’s Pavarotti’, and is Vice President of the Shanghai Opera House. Warren Wah-lun Mok. from Hong Kong, (in the middle above) has a distinguished international career as one of China’s top opera singers as well as being Artistic Director of the Macau International Music Festival and Founder of Opera Hong Kong. This concert marks 25 years since his European debut.
The concert, A Beijing Night with China’s Three Tenors, is sponsored by the Beijing tourist board, for which the trio are ambassadors.
The repertoire for the concert, conducted by Martin Yates, includes pieces from classic European operas such as Tosca, Carmen and Rigoletto, the works of renowned contemporary composers from China, and a selection of traditional Chinese folk songs.
Those attending the concert in Edinburgh have the chance to win a holiday in Beijing to see sights such as the Forbidden City, Summer Palace and the Great Wall of China.
For cultural tourists, the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing is a spectacular example of contemporary architecture with its shell-like exterior, partially underwater, housing large-scale performances in classical music, opera, theatre and ballet.
Tickets for A Beijing Night with China’s Three Tenors cost £15-£35 from www.usherhall.co.uk or 0131 228 1155.
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