Suzhou Chinese Orchestra debuts in Italy

The Suzhou Chinese Orchestra makes its debut at the Teatro Sociale in Como, Italy on Jan 24, the fifth stop of the orchestra's European tour. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The Suzhou Chinese Orchestra made its debut at the Teatro Sociale in Como, in Italy on Jan 24, the fifth stop of the orchestra's European tour to celebrate the upcoming Spring Festival.

With a history of more than 200 years, the Teatro Sociale was renovated from a medieval castle and boasts excellent acoustics.

Under the baton of Chinese conductor Pang Kapang, the orchestra performed classic works, including Spring Festival Ouverture, Jasmine Flower, the Butterfly Dream, Moon Reflected in the Er Quan, Lyric Variation, and Mocau Cappricio.

The orchestra, which mixes traditional Chinese folk music with modern orchestra performances, was watched by 1,000 local residents in attendance on the night.

They also played William Tell and Lightning Polka March as an encore for the Italian audience.

Zhang Hong, deputy consul general of China in Milan, praised the Suzhou orchestra's performance and said the European tour is of great significance in promoting cultural exchanges between China and European countries.

Their European tour is supported by the China National Arts Fund and the Jiangsu Provincial Arts Fund.

The orchestra's next stop will be Lucerne, Switzerland and end in Moscow, capital of Russia on Feb 9.

More than 1,000 local residents admire the Suzhou Chinese Orchestra's performance. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]