Conductor Zhang Liang Arrives in Los Angeles to Lead Yellow River Cantata in Commemoration of the 80th Anniversary of Victory in WWII
By Richard Ren / LAPost
Los Angeles, August 17, 2025 — To commemorate the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the global triumph over fascism, the Southern California Chinese community will present a large-scale concert titled “Remember History, Honor the Fallen, Cherish Peace, Create the Future” at Walt Disney Concert Hall on August 23. The highlight of the evening will be a full performance of Yellow River Cantata.
The organizing committee has invited Zhang Liang, Deputy Director and Principal Conductor of the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra, National First-Class Conductor, and Vice Chairman of the Shanghai Musicians Association, to lead this performance. On August 16, music director and mezzo-soprano Sophia Li hosted a welcome ceremony for Zhang, who had just arrived in Los Angeles from Shanghai.
In his remarks, Zhang recalled that ten years ago he was invited to conduct at the 70th anniversary concert in Washington, D.C. “Peace is hard-won. As musicians, we must use music to express our deep longing for peace. Although many of the performers this time are not professional musicians, their music will be sincere and passionate. I am greatly looking forward to the concert next week,” he said.
It was renowned composer Nathan Wang who recommended Zhang to conduct this year’s Yellow River Cantata. Zhang has frequently served as a judge for televised choral competitions in China and is widely respected for his mastery in both symphonic and choral conducting. While audiences are familiar with him as a conductor, Zhang is also a gifted pianist. He began piano studies at age five, graduated from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music High School, and in 1998 was admitted to the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna with top marks in both conducting and piano. He studied under conducting master Leopold Hager and piano professors Noel Flores and Jörg Jelinek, later earning dual degrees with distinction in 2003.
Beyond the podium, Zhang remains active on the chamber music stage, collaborating with acclaimed soloists from Germany, Austria, France, Mexico, Spain, Japan, and Korea. In recent years, he has also performed and recorded extensively with Chinese musicians, releasing several well-received albums.
The welcome reception also drew prominent Chinese-American philanthropists Charlie Zhang and Charles Huang, mezzo-soprano Yang Guang, composer Nathan Wang, tenor Li Zhentao, pipa virtuoso Liu Yu, and violinist Wei Xiaozhuang, among others.
The upcoming concert will unite around 300 singers and instrumentalists, joined by guest artists from China, in a program that blends wartime songs with the complete Yellow River Cantata. Sophia Li, serving her third term as artistic director of this once-a-decade Los Angeles Chinese community tradition, noted that the performance is the result of a three-month rehearsal process. Nine Chinese choral ensembles, including the Huayi Choir, Voice of Love Choir, Peking University Alumni Choir, Philharmonic Choir, Horizon Choir, and Orange County Arts Troupe, will join forces. All members are committed to performing from memory.
Several distinguished guest artists will also take the stage: Grammy Award-winning composer Nathan Wang, Cardiff Singer of the World Gold Medalist mezzo-soprano Yang Guang, musicians from the mainstream American music community, and the Los Angeles United Symphony Orchestra. Together, they will deliver a cultural and historical music event that bridges time and geography.
The program will be presented in two halves: the first will feature classical pieces, solos, and choral works, including “Song of Praise · The Bugle Call”, “On the Songhua River”, the piano concerto “1945”, and the children’s choir performance “Song of the Newspaper Seller.” The second half, under Zhang Liang’s baton, will culminate in a complete performance of Xian Xinghai’s monumental Yellow River Cantata, with lyrics by Guang Weiran.
Organizers expressed hope that the concert will allow audiences not only to hear music but also to feel the historical memory and spiritual strength it conveys — honoring those who sacrificed their lives while delivering a shared call for peace.
