As the year of the Rabbit made its journey to honoring 2011‘s Chinese New Year, legendary orchestra conductor Carolyn Kuan returned for the fifth year running to lead the San Francisco Symphony and bring in the Lunar New Year at the famed Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco for what was to be an evening of regal celebrations and style!

This year’s 11th annual festivities of the Lunar New Year were held on Jan. 29, 2011 where the celebrations literally started off with a bang where lion dancers pranced around the reception elegantly embodying the Chinese culture and grand arts and crafts showcased centuries of Chinese tradition. Spirits were heightened with the chance to experience seeing the world famous Carolyn Kuan’s amazing skills at leading her orchestra to produce majestic music aimed at bringing together a mix between the modern world and tradition of Chinese and Western influenced music. Sharing the stage with Kuan was violinist Ray Chen,who was born in Taiwan but raised in Australia and whom has fast become much sort after around the globe for his haunting recitals.  Also highlighted in the program was Li Bo who from the young age of 15 became a professional performer in his native land of Mongolia and has further become one of the world’s most accomplished morin khur players otherwise known as horse-hair fiddel players. His captivating composition of The Tale of Matou Quin based on a classic folk tale embodying his heritage.

Elegant performances throughout the concert were composed up of an impressive program of acts from Chinese composer Tan Dun’s Overture: Dragon and Phoenix from Heaven Earth Mankind ( Symphony 1997), Ray Chen’s Orchestra for Beethoven’s Romance for violin and Orchestra No.1 and Saraste’s Zigeunerweisen and Fung Yang Drum Song arranged by Nakagama, Plum Blossoms in the snow arranged by Zi Huang , all tying in the tradition and culture of the evenings.

The finale of the event came to a end at San Fransisco’s grand Rotunda staircase at City Hall with the Imperial dinner, which was as its name suggests a rich gathering of elegantly dressed crowd infusing themselves into the elaborate world of Chinese culture,class, tradition and food.

Yet another year of royal success was courtesy of the committees Goretti Lui, Yurie Pasacarella and Jennie Chiu as well as presenting partner Bank of America and supporting sponsors AT&T and Monster Cable…yet another Chinese New Year goes down in the books as another success. Good Luck Rabbit!

To view more photos from this event, visit Haute Living’s Event Gallery.

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