Orchestra embarks on a symphonic cross-cultural tour

The Shanghai Symphony Orchestra will tour Australia, New Zealand and Singapore from March 13 to 23. The orchestra, led by music director Yu Long, will present five concerts: at Hamer Hall in Melbourne and the Sydney Opera House in Australia; the Auckland Town Hall in New Zealand; and the Esplanade Concert Hall in Singapore.

Included in the program are works by two of China's most prominent contemporary composers: Elliot Leung, the youngest-ever recipient of the 2023 Huabiao Film Awards for Outstanding Composer, and Chen Qigang, praised by The Guardian for achieving a "sustained dialogue between Chinese and Western classical and cultural traditions".

These works will be performed in addition to works by Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninov, featuring soloists Wang Jian, one of China's most celebrated classical cellists, and Serena Wang, a rising star pianist born in 2004, who will make her Australasian debut during the tour, performing Chen's Piano Concerto: Er Huang, a piece inspired by traditional Chinese Peking Opera.

"As one of Asia's first symphony orchestras, the SSO has embarked on many significant international tours throughout its 146-year history," Yu says. This tour marks the orchestra's return to Australia and New Zealand, and its Singapore debut.

"We are particularly looking forward to introducing audiences to Elliot Leung's symphonic suite Chinese Kitchen: A Feast of Flavors, a work commissioned and premiered by the SSO last year, in addition to Chen Qigang's piano concerto Er Huang, as they celebrate the profound depth of Chinese culture."

Chinese Kitchen: A Feast of Flavors features a specific Chinese dish in each movement, interpreting Chinese culinary culture with musical vocabulary through a unique perspective.