New | Folk singer Song Zuying skips CCTV gala for American concert
While CCTV extravaganza is important, singer says New York programme was too good an opportunity to pass up
Military folk singer Song Zuying was conspicuously absent from this year’s CCTV New Year Gala programme – but even though she was halfway across the world, performing for America, she said still she marked the occasion by flying the flag for Chinese arts.
Song explained she had to skip the China Central Television spectacular for an opportunity to sing in New York – marking the first time she missed a gala in 24 years.
Song, along with violinist Wang Yujia and cellist Wang Jian, were featured in a New York Philharmonic concert at the Lincoln Centre on Saturday, according to the orchestra’s website.
The Philharmonic performed traditional Chinese and other classical music, featuring Chinese and Chinese-American artists.
Song performed three of her classics – Soaring Song of Miaoling, Flying Song of the Earth and Little Back Basket – the latter of which was what she sang on her CCTV gala debut in 1990.
China News Service also said she performed I Toast My Family With Folk Songs as an encore at the New York show.