Launching the first international performance tour eight months after its founding and making its debut at United Nations’ headquarters at the age of two and a half years, Suzhou Symphony Orchestra, which celebrated its sixth birthday on Nov 18 with a Sergei Prokofiev concert, has demonstrated how fast and strongly a symphony orchestra like it can grow.
The young symphony orchestra consisting of musicians from about 20 countries and regions has left its footprints in many countries including France, Germany, Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, the United States and Austria, and its “small but exquisite performances”, as described by the orchestra’s leader Chen Guangxian, have deeply impressed the audiences.
At the same time, the orchestra has been trying to promote innovations in the creation and performance of symphonies. With this purpose, it initiated the Suzhou Jinji Lake Composition Competition which is held biennially to celebrate outstanding original works that embed traditional Suzhou-style cultural and musical elements into western symphonies. The first edition of the competition in 2018 allowed over 100 works from 39 countries and regions to come into the spotlight.
The orchestra itself often works with troupes dedicated to different forms of art to bring new experiences to audiences. In July, it shared the stage with Suzhou Kunqu Opera Theatre in the innovative performance of “The Peony Pavilion: A Vivid Dream In A Garden”, a classic episode of Kunqu opera, one of the oldest forms of Chinese opera.
The orchestra is also sparing no effort to spread the art of symphony. It has moved many performances online in order to cope with the impact of the coronavirus epidemic, and frequently offers lectures and performances in schools and communities to bring the art close to people there. It is now helping train the Suzhou Junior Symphony Orchestra founded by Suzhou Education Bureau and SIP-based company New Era Group in July, with the hope that the young performers will be able to make their debut in its New Year concert on Dec 31.
November 19, 2022
