“The Orchestra is full of skilled and spirited players from across the world,” said Chen Guangxian, general manager of Suzhou Symphony Orchestra.

The Orchestra is made up with 63 players from 15 countries and regions, including China, the United States, France, etc. All of them are graduated from top-ranking art academies or elites from renowned orchestras worldwide. Chen said that the average age of the players are 30, while 80% of them are under 35 years old. More than 50% of the players own master’s degrees and above. A total of 546 resumes were received since the recruitment started in March 2016.

“I discovered the information about Suzhou Symphony Orchestra on the Internet, at first I was attracted by the name,” said Jessica Fotinos, the principal harp in the Orchestra, “I regarded it as an amazing opportunity to be a part of the grand new orchestra, and what attracted me more is it is a real orchestra of a city.”

Gu Chen, graduated from Australian Institute of Music and filled with performing experiences, is the concertmaster of Suzhou Symphony Orchestra. He said the establishment of the Orchestra will become a cultural postcard of Suzhou.

“As a cultural symbol, the Suzhou Symphony Orchestra is of great importance to the citizens of Suzhou,” said Gu. “It will provide stages and information for symphony lovers to get in touch with the best concerts in Suzhou”.