The Press Conference for the Redwood Concert for Celebration of Sino-US Fridendship featuring Miss Julia Zhu, soprano, was held officially at Chinese Consulate General in Houston on 25 March, from 4 till 6 pm. The guests attending this event included: Chinese Consul General, Hua Jin Zhou, Cultural Attache, Li Ji Ping; Cultural Consul, Wang Dong Wen; News and Cultural Consul, Sun Ai Ping; President of USCF, Larry Lee; Chief Representative of USCF Beijing Office, Dai Tong De; President of the Center for Chinese Activities Yang Jun LI; Vice President of the Center for Chinese Activities, Chen Ke; Chairman of the Association for Chinese Scholars, Liu Kai; former Chairman of the Association for Chinese Scholars, Hu Jun; Chairman of Association of fellow townsmen of Shangdong, Sun Tie Han; Chairman of Association of fellow townsmen of Northeast, Li Qing Yuan; Head of Huanghe Chorus, Liang Yang Yan; Lawyer, Xu Jian Xun; Miss Lu Xiao Mei from Culture and Art Association of North America; Ms. Wang Gui Sheng from HSBC; Mr. Huang Jia Hua from Southern Chinese Daily News..
Chinese Consul General, Hua Jin Zhou announced that the Redwood Concert for Celebration of Sino-US Fridendship featuring Miss Julia Zhu, soprano, would be held at Cullen Hall, University of Houston on 30 April , 8 pm. Chinese Consul General, Hua Jin Zhou introduced that the background of this concert: In the early spring of 35 years ago, a redwood tree from North America, with good expectation of American and Chinese people, was planted on the edge of China's beautiful West Lake. The tree now stands over 14 meters high with thick green leaves and tens of thousand redwood trees of this type are growing healthily in tens of cities across China. The redwood tree has become a symbol of Sino-US Friendship. Chinese Consulate General in Houston , as one of co-organizers of this concert, would make its best efforts to organize this concert.
Larry Lee, president of USCF, introduced the preparation work for this concert. The year 2007 will mark the 35th anniversary of former US President Richard Nixon's historic visit to China as well as that of the signing of the Sino-US Shanghai Joint Communiqué. The United States and China Foundation (USCF), will host a solo concert of Julia Zhu, Artistic Director of USCF to pay tribute to this historic event. Larry Lee added that after this concert, Miss Julia Zhu would give her another solo concert, the Redwood Concert at well-known Baoli Thearter in Beijing in the early July of 2007, from the date of the anniversary of Chinese ruling party to US National Day. Professor Jin Tie Lin, well-known vocal educator in China , Julia Zhu’s vocal instructor along with Ms. Liang Ning, world-famous mezzo-soprano, Julia Zhu’s western vocal instructor would attend this concert in Houston . Larry Lee thanked very much for the great support given by the Center for Chinese Activities, the Association for Chinese Scholars, the Association of fellow townsmen of Northeast and the Association of fellow townsmen of Shangdong at the initial stage of preparation of this concert.
Dai Tong De, Chief Representative of USCF Beijing Office, introduced the details of his communications in Beijing with Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhao Xing and his inscriptions for this concert and other preparation work.
Cultural Attache, Li Ji Ping made a excellent speech on Julia Zhu’s artistic charateristics and studying. She said that Julia Zhu’s voice is sweet; Julia Zhu’s vocal instructor Jin Tie Lin is well-known vocal educator in China , who summarized scientific sounding methods of Chinese Traditional Vocal Art and put these methods into use in his teaching. Famous singer Li Gu Yi, well-known singing stars Shong Zhu Ying and Peng Li Yuan, etc. are Professor Jin’s students. Julia Zhu’s another vocal instructor, Liang Ning, well-known mezzo-soprano, the best student of Shen Xiang, who is vocal master in China . Liang Ning won many important prizes at international vocal competitions. ‘Julia Zhu is a gifted singing star, so please give your great support to her’, Cultural Attache, Li Ji Ping concluded.
In the end, many reporters asked interesting questions about this concert and the pleasant atmosphere of this press conference reached a climax.
