Pomp, youth and tradition to the fore

On Sept 24, the BMF Festival Orchestra will perform under the baton of Yu with a concert featuring a new symphonic poem, Qian Li Jiang Shan, by composer Zhao Lin. The new musical interpretation of the painting A Panorama of Rivers and Mountains by Wang Ximeng of the Song Dynasty (960-1279) premiered in Shanghai in July, featuring the China Philharmonic Orchestra and conductor Sun Yifan. It later performed in cities, including Xi'an, Shaanxi province, Shenyang, Liaoning province, and Hohhot, Inner Mongolia autonomous region.

The coming concert will open the 25th Beijing Music Festival with a star-studded lineup, including the pipa (plucked four-stringed instrument) player Zhao Cong, the sheng (reed wind instrument) player Wu Tong, the erhu (plucked two-stringed instrument) player Lu Yiwen, pianist He Ming and soprano Lei Jia.

The Joy of Suffering: A Homage to the Art of Qigang Chen, a concert conducted by Huang Yi, will be held at the Forbidden City Concert Hall on Nov 20, with works by Chen, one of the most important composers working with the China Philharmonic Orchestra. The composer's works, including L' Eloignement, Concerto for Trumpet and Orchestra Joie Eternelle and Poeme Lyrique II, will be performed. Chen's La joie de la souffrance, written for violin and orchestra, will be adapted into a version for erhu and orchestra and will be performed during the concert by erhu player Lu.

"When we review the history of the China Philharmonic Orchestra, performing works by Chinese composers has been our mission," Yu says. "Since the orchestra has won an international reputation with its unique sound, we are keen to display works by Chinese composers when we perform abroad, and that builds up a musical dialogue."

The orchestra is not only devoted to performing new works but is also proud of its long-standing commitment to introduce young Chinese musicians, he says.

The new season will bring collaboration with young musicians, including trumpeter Yang Xunji, pianist An Tianxu and cellist Chen Yibai. Born in 2001, Chen Yibai won second prize in the Queen Elisabeth Competition in Belgium in June.

"In 2020, when the orchestra celebrated the 20th anniversary of its founding, we invited musicians born in 2000 to perform with us," Yu says. "They were born in the year the orchestra was founded and have grown into professional musicians, performing worldwide. It was a very touching moment when we performed together."