The Caput Ensemble from Iceland will be touring China on May 18th through 24th, performing in three cities, Beijing, Tian Jin and Xi’an. The touring ensemble consists of 8 instrumentlists conducted by Gudni Franzson.

The Caput Ensemble has been invited to perform at the Beijing Modern Music Festival 2013 which is in its eleventh year. The Caput Ensemble concert will take place at Beijing Central Conservatory of Music, the home of the festival, on May 20th at 2pm. From Beijing the ensemble will travel to Tian Jin to perform at the Tian Jin May Festival on May 21st. Going on to Xi’an the ensemble will perform at Xi’an Conservatory of Music on May 23rd.

An emphasis will be placed on the performance of works by Nordic composers. Two new Icelandic works were commissioned for the tour and will be premiered in Beijing on May 20th. They are Façade by Haukur Tómasson and Ró / (安) by Anna Thorvaldsdóttir. Haukur and Anna have both received the prestigious Nordic Council Music Prize for their works as well as Kaija Saariaho from Finland, Rolf Wallin from Norway and Bent Sørensen from Denmark who also have their works presented in China. A solo and chamber work by Jón Leifs will be on the program as well. The Nordic works are juxtaposed with the premiere of a new work by a young Chinese composer, Chen Dan Bu. His work has also been commissioned on the occasion of the Caput concert at Beijing Modern Music Festival. 

A young celebrity violinist, Chen Xi, will appear with Caput in the concerts in Beijing, Tian Jin and Xi’an. Chen Xi won his popularity in China when he won the international Tchaikovsky violin competition 2002 at 17 years of age. He will perform a solo work by Tonia Ko and The Winter by Astor Piazolla with Caput.
The tour is supported by the Nordic Culture Point (Kulturkontakt Nord). The concerts are held in cooperation with the Lin Yao Ji Music Foundation of China and the Icelandic-Chinese Cultural Society (KÍM) which celebrates its 60th anniversary this year.

[Extracted from http://www.gramophone.com.cn/]