PHOENIX RISING

November 1, 2025

IM  -  

Angel Wang, Claudio Vena, and the Phoenix Orchestra
Limited Pressing Agreement

Violinist Angel Wang of Local 149 (Toronto, ON) and chamber ensemble Phoenix Orchestra celebrate the convergence of Chinese and Western music on their debut project, Phoenix Rising.

The beloved “Butterfly Lovers’ Concerto” is arranged here by He Zhanhao and Chen Gang, who originally composed the piece in 1959. To complement the repertoire, Wang commissioned Chinese Canadian veteran composer Alice Ping Yee Ho to provide a contemporary balance with her composition and closing piece, “Phoenix Rising,” a single-movement tone poem for solo violin and orchestra. It encapsulates the timeless idea of the phoenix rising from its ashes, symbolizing hope and rebirth.

The “Butterfly Lover’s Concerto” has become famous for using orchestras augmented by Chinese folk instruments. Wang deftly negotiates all the potentially swooning portamenti with cool accuracy. The folk tunes are similarly handled with simple orchestration, and the pentatonic sound imparts a recognizable Chinese identity.

Alongside the classical pieces are traditional songs arranged by conductor Claudio Vena of Local 149. These include “Songs of Four Seasons” from China’s Qinghai province; the fa-mous “Jasmine Flower” from the Qing dynasty; “Dance of the Yao People,” inspired by southern China’s drum dance; “Mayila,” a Kazakh song of a young girl’s enchanting voice; and the leg-endary Mongolian folk song “Galloping Horses” of horses galloping and neighing across the grasslands.

---