“Three Wishes for a Rose” is an invitation to enter into a place of quite repose; a calm and secret place that welcomes you at the end of the day; suspended between darkness and daylight, waking and a dream, East and West. The music you will hear is evocative of many far-off scenes - from the candle-lit salons of Europe, to evening prayers in a Jewish Synagogue, from the endless sky of the Inner Mongolian grasslands, to the manicured elegance of an estate in Edwardian England, from the embattled city of Shanghai during the 1930s to the imperial gardens of the Forbidden City, our program of song will transport you.

Beginning with the sinuous cantilena of Tchaikowsky’s Nocturne and concluding with that most famous of all Chinese folk songs, the tender Jasmine Flower (whose fragrant petals unfold at twilight), our two master-musicians take you on a musical journey that includes lullabies, and love songs, in a program that includes some of the most beloved, lyrical encores from two cultures.

Perhaps more than any instrument the cello sound can create a melancholy mood.

Its husky tenor voice can be further enhanced by a broad vibrato and its particularly wide range and powerful sound can one minute be play a bass line and the next, a melody that soars through the uppermost octaves. It's deep and poignant tone touches the very depth of one's heart. It transports you into a mysterious and amazing world where each tone becomes like a wind that slowly caresses your soul... Indeed, it’s this very universality of the cello’s sound that makes this international program so special. Ma Xinhua and Feng Dan have provided a folio of comparisons and contrast - Fauré's Sicilienne finds its parallel in Sha Hankun’s Madrigal; Elgar’s timeless Salut d'Amour finds its long-lost Chinese cousin in Huand Zi’s touching “Three Wishes for a Rose”- two worlds of music come together in a perfect balance.

In addition to the artistry of Principle Cellist for the China Philharmonic, Ma Xinhua and accompanist extraordinaire Feng Dan, two other names should be mentioned. The first, master recording engineer Professor Li Dakang of the Communication University of China – a craftsman of the first order whose understanding of the science of recording technology gives life to the art of music. Finally, we must acknowledge the genius of luthier Matteo Goffriller (1659 – 1742), whose priceless instrument is featured on this recording. These four artists, who in every way are as international as the program they have recorded, are a testament to the emotional power of music to cross the boundaries of time and geography to create a unique work of art.