Lyu Jia takes the baton of the Global Chinese Orchestra to perform at the annual Beijing concerts that gather overseas Chinese and returned musicians, who have studied and worked abroad for years. [Photo provided to China Daily]

For Lyu, the idea of gathering overseas Chinese musicians in an orchestra was a longtime wish.

The 53-year-old conductor from Shanghai studied conducting at the University of Arts in Berlin in 1988 after graduating from the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. He won the Golden Prize and Favorite Conductor Award in the international conducting competition, Antonio Pedrotti, in Trento, Italy, in 1988.

In 1991, he was appointed as the chief conductor of the Italian opera house, Teatro Lirico Giuseppe Verdi, making him not only the opera house's first chief conductor from Asia, but also its youngest. Lyu worked and lived abroad for years, conducting 2,000 concerts and operas in Europe and the United States, before he returned to China and served as the chief conductor of the National Center for the Performing Arts Orchestra in 2011.

"During the past three decades, more Chinese musicians have studied at music schools abroad and played in Western orchestras. They've been recognized by Western audiences," says Lyu.

He also notes that classical music is a universal language that connects China with the rest of the world. He hopes that the orchestra can tour overseas besides giving its annual performances in China.

Ma Junyi, the concertmaster and orchestra director of the Opera Australia Orchestra, has been playing with the Global Chinese Orchestra since its inception. This year, he is the principal violinist.

"It's like playing in an NBA All-Star Game. It's fun, and we enjoy playing together," says Ma, who was born in Shanghai and moved to Australia in 1990.

Lin Wei, the daughter of the late renowned violinist and music educator Lin Yaoji, joined in the Global Chinese Orchestra in 2016. The Guangzhou native started learning violin with her father at age 7. She plays with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra, which she joined in 1988.

"The musicians have absorbed different cultures, and they turn their chemistry into expressive music. The opportunity of performing together is rare," says Lin. "We are proud."

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