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BRE

BRE - Beijing Renaissance Ensemble, founded by early music enthusiasts in Beijing back in August 2003, is a non-profit community dedicated to the performance and dissemination of Renaissance polyphony music. Up to now, BRE has successfully interpreted a large portion of the Renaissance choral repertoire, including Messa a4 da capella, SV257 (2011) by Claudio Monteverdi, Missa O Magnum Mysterium (2012) by Tomás Luis de Victoria, Missa pro defunctis 1583 (2013) by Tomás Luis de Victoria, Messe des Jésuites de Pékin (2014) by Charles d'Ambleville, Missa Ave maris stella (Public debut in Mainland China, 2015) by Josquin Desprez, Missa Papae Marcelli by Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, and more. In 2014 BRE studied and performed Musique Sacrée by Jean Joseph Marie Amiot - a missionary who visited China in the Qing Dynasty. BRE seeks to provide direct experience of music that used to be available only in commercial recordings.

Zhang Zhipeng (Aristic director)

Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina

Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina was an Italian Renaissance composer and the best-known 16th-century representative of the Roman School of musical composition. He had a lasting influence on the development of church music, and his work has often been seen as the culmination of Renaissance polyphony. Palestrina was born in the town of Palestrina, near Rome, then part of the Papal States. Documents suggest that he first visited Rome in 1537, where he is listed as a chorister at the Santa Maria Maggiore basilica. He studied with Robin Mallapert and Firmin Lebel. From 1544 to 1551, Palestrina was the organist of the Cathedral of St. Agapito, the principal church of his native city. His first published compositions, a book of Masses, had made so favorable an impression on Pope Julius III (previously the Bishop of Palestrina) that in 1551 he appointed Palestrina maestro di cappella or musical director of the Cappella Giulia, (Julian Chapel, in the sense of choir), the choir of the chapter of canons at St. Peter's Basilica. During the next decade, Palestrina held positions similar to his Julian Chapel appointment at other chapels and churches in Rome, notably St. John Lateran (1555–1560, a post previously held by Lassus), and St. Mary Major (1561–1566). In 1571 he returned to the Julian Chapel and remained at St. Peter's for the rest of his life. He died in Rome of pleurisy in 1594. As was usual, Palestrina was buried on the same day he died, in a plain coffin with a lead plate on which was inscribed Libera me Domine. A five-part psalm for three choirs was sung at the funeral. Palestrina's funeral was held at St. Peter's, and he was buried beneath the floor of the basilica. Palestrina left hundreds of compositions, including 104 masses, at least 130 madrigals and more than 300 motets. In addition, there are at least 35 magnificent sets of lamentations.

18:30-18:50 Ticket pick-up at the reception desk (for UCCA members who RSVPed)

18:50-19:20 Exclusive UCCA members-only guided tour

19:00-19:30 Ticket distribution at the reception desk (for UCCA members who didn’t RSVP and non-members)

19:30-20:30 Performance