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"Sands and Beyond" is inspired by the immortal lines on the Dunhuang murals which vividly depict the apsaras dancing in their full splendor. These flying deities exemplify a sense of Oriental aesthetic beauty that seems to traverse the desolate desert into the vastness of the universe, and provides a perfect palette for the composer to paint his music.

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Besides the commonly known pipa, the konghou is also among the array of musical instruments frequently seen on the murals. Known as the Chinese harp, the konghou can be traced back to the harps in ancient Babylon, Egypt and Greece. Our concert, as part of the 13th World Harp Congress in Hong Kong, will highlight the harp and begin with a solo piece by renowned Italian harpist Raoul Moretti. Interspersed with dances and complemented by lighting and video images, the stylized pieces, in various combinations of Chinese and Western musical instruments, will be performed in a reserved and unaffected style with the musicians in a state of quiescence. The concert will end with the vigorous pipa ensemble piece “Heavenly Dance”, depicting music from Heaven.

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