Three realms shape orchestra's season-opening Beijing performance

Under the baton of conductor Li Xincao, the National Traditional Orchestra Academia China of the China Conservatory of Music will perform at the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing on April 24.

Li also serves as president of the conservatory.

Part of the NCPA's third edition of "Spring of Traditional Chinese Music" festival, which highlights traditional Chinese music, the concert, titled Eastern Tripartite Realms, will open the orchestra's 2026 season.

The performance is designed to take the audience through three aesthetic realms: living, artistic, and spiritual, highlighting the emotional range and cultural depth of traditional Chinese music.

The first section opens with composer Zhao Jiping's work, titled Guo Feng, followed by composer Tang Jianping's Spring and Autumn for pipa and orchestra, and Li Bochan's Green Thoughts. The section culminates in Su Xiao's Qiang Diao, featuring a powerful suona and orchestra performance by Zhang Qianyuan, blending traditional and modern techniques.

The second section features composer Tan Dun's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon for erhu and orchestra, with Tan Wei as soloist, and Wang Zhongshan's Looking Toward My Hometown for guzheng and orchestra. Together, the works explore emotional and cultural themes through dialogue between soloists and ensemble.

The final section opens with Zhang Zhao's Seven-Colored Harmony and concludes with Wang Danhong's Ode to the Sun, bringing the concert to a grand and powerful close.

The program presents a journey through Chinese ethnic music, combining classic and contemporary works that reflect the aesthetic spirit of Chinese culture.