The concert tour through China of Wyneke Jordans and Leo van Doeselaar was a great succes and a fascinating experience for the pianoduo. They did concerts in the metropoles Changsha (capital of the province of Hunan), Wuhan (capital of Hubei), Nanjing (capital of Jiangsu) and Shanghai, in the last city as part of the Seventh International Shanghai Music Festival. The tour was prepared locally by huge posters and TV screens, and during the tour the duo was interviewed by journalists of influential newspapers and radio stations.
“It is my experience that spontaneity and friendliness are major qualities of the Chinese people,” Leo writes in his report of the tour. Though sometimes the audience was not quite as silent as the duo was accustomed to, most of the time they were very attentive and interested. Two girls even had brought binoculars to observe the movements of the musiciens’ hands and feet during their playing. After the performance (or ‘show’ as the Chinese speakers used to call it) there was generally ample time for discussion and sometimes the for the most part young audience stormed the stage for autographs.
In Shanghai the couple was presented a heavy glass plaquette with inscription by the manager of Shanghai Conservatory and the vice-president of the Shanghai Music Festival.
Xiaojia Xu of Coryphée and namesake Feng Xu not only were very useful during the tour as interpreters, but also made the couple acquainted with the excellent local Chinese cuisine.
Leo and Wyneke especially wish to thank Gert-Jan Kramer of Fugro. The tour would not have been possible without this firm’s ample support.