The Concert Hall of the Hong Kong City Hall was brilliantly illuminated as YWCA organised the National Day Concert “Yang Xue and Hong Kong YWCA Chinese Orchestra”, celebrating the 76th Anniversary of the Founding of the People’s Republic of China and the 105th Anniversary of YWCA. This artistic event, celebrating the significance of both occasions, attracted over 1,200 attendees who experienced the captivating fusion of tradition and modernity through ethnic music. The concert welcomed numerous distinguished guests, including Ms. Chan Lai Chu, Assistant Director (Youth and Corrections), Social Welfare Department. In her speech, she highlighted the Association’s longstanding contributions to the community, particularly its role in nurturing young Chinese musicians and preserving cultural traditions. Ms. Yvonne Yeung, Chief Executive of the Association, emphasised music’s power as both a cultural bridge and an extension of social services. She expressed gratitude for the support from various sectors in supporting the Association's century-long mission to serve the community and empower women.

The concert featured Professor Yang Xue, an erhu performer from the Central Conservatory of Music, and Mr. Yuan Bei, national first-class conductor. They were joined by Hong Kong YWCA Chinese Orchestra, led by conductors Wong Chun-yin and Tsang Pak-yu, in a programme centred on ethnic music. Yang Xue opened with a solo performance of “Initial Aspiration,” a delicate yet powerful interpretation that captured the revolutionary spirit’s grandeur and subtlety, evoking deep emotions through its historical resonance. Yuan Bei conducted the “Folk Suite”, a selection of adapted Chinese folk songs that vividly portrayed regional customs - from the northwest plateau to the southern water towns - through the orchestra's rich and layered sound. The highly anticipated Hong Kong premiere of “My Motherland”, performed by Yang Xue and the orchestra, blended the erhu's expressive strength with orchestral majesty, painting a magnificent portrait of the country's landscapes. Furthermore, the concert reached its climax with an excerpt from “Liberation: 1949”, a commissioned work by the Nanjing Chinese Orchestra that powerfully recreated pivotal historical moments.

Held in honour of the 76th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China and the 105th anniversary of YWCA, the concert embraced the theme of “Inheritance and Innovation”. A modern arrangement of “Jasmine” symbolised the continuous vitality of cultural roots and echoed the Association’s century-long commitment to innovation. More than a musical performance, the concert became a cultural ritual – bridging past and present, individual and collective. As the final notes of “Folk Suite” faded, Hong Kong YWCA Chinese Orchestra left a lasting impression, marking both National Day and the Association's anniversary celebration with a resonant musical tribute.

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