Stringing together an outstanding new season

On Oct 10 and 11, Lyu conducted the original symphonic chorus Harvest China, while Chen Xieyang will lead the concert version of Crossing the Yangtze River — 1949, an original NCPA opera composed by Meng Weidong, on Dec 15 and 16.

Other new works include The String of Heart — Erhu Concerto, written by Tang Jianping to mark the 130th anniversary of the birth of Chinese musician and composer Liu Tianhua (1895-1932), with Zhang Guoyong conducting and Yu Hongmei as soloist.

Zhou Long's Eight Chinese Folk Songs and Huang Ruo's The Girl from Da Ban City draw on folk traditions and regional cultures while giving them new symphonic forms.

The orchestra also marks the 30th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland with conductor Chen Lin, violinist Yao Jue and the Hong Kong String Orchestra, performing works by Hong Kong composers. On the anniversary, composer and conductor Tan Dun will lead the premiere of a new version of his Heaven, Earth and Mankind, featuring ancient Chinese chime bells.

The season's international dimension is also reflected in its artists-in-residence: Mei Diyang, principal viola of the Berlin Philharmonic, and horn principal Zeng Yun. They will lead chamber projects exploring their instruments' expressive possibilities through works by Handel, Mozart and Astor Piazzolla. In May 2027, they will perform Heather Schmidt's Light and Shadow, a concerto for viola and French horn with the orchestra.

Opera remains at the heart of the orchestra's artistic identity. The coming season will feature Verdi's Rigoletto, Yin Qing's The Long March, Mozart's The Magic Flute, and Rossini's The Barber of Seville.