A world of harmony

"For me, the new collaboration with the China National Symphony Orchestra is like a return. My grandmother worked as a soprano with the orchestra for decades and I saw many photos of her performing with the musicians of the orchestra when I was a little girl," says Jing. "She also told me many stories about this orchestra. I feel very familiar and close to it."

Jing's grandmother, Deng Yingyi (1920-2004), performed with the China National Symphony Orchestra for 13 years. In 1963, Deng was transferred to teach music at Shanxi University.

Zhou Yu, the Party Secretary of the China National Symphony Orchestra, says that the ensemble, which was founded in 1956 and formerly named the Central Philharmonic Society, is dedicated to staging concerts that are appealing to audiences of different age groups. Besides Western classical music pieces, the orchestra has performed Chinese music pieces both at home and abroad.

In 2024, the China National Symphony Orchestra will tour globally, with concerts in Mexico, Venezuela, and Brazil from September to October, marking the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Brazil. It will tour Europe in October, marking the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France. In December 2024, the orchestra will perform at the Abu Dhabi Festival.

Musicians of the orchestra will also perform as chamber music ensembles at universities during the new season, allowing young audiences to get closer to classical music.