Vijay Upadhyaya
Symphony No. 2
“Chang An Men”
Gate to long-lasting peace
Soloists
Yayi Ca
Daniel Schostok
directed by Vijay Upadhyaya
Chang’An Men, the 2nd Symphony by Vijay Upadhyaya, is a musical journey through various periods of Chinese history and culture and combines western symphonic and choral techniques with traditional Chinese music, literature and philosophy. Chang’An (the present-day city of Xi’An) was the capital of the Tang Dynasty in Ancient China and the beginning of the Silk Road. Chang’An Men literally means the gate to long-lasting peace, a vision which is so important in the present day and age. This is Vijay Upadhyaya’s 2nd symphony, a work for large orchestra, 16-part chorus and two soloists. The work is divided into four movements and is approximately 75 minutes long. This work is the first large composing commission assigned by the People's Republic of China to a non-Chinese composer.