Palace of harmony

The traditional Chinese lunar calendar divides the year into 24 solar terms. Ancient Chinese people created these solar terms and used them to guide agricultural activities and daily life. In 2016, the 24 solar terms were included in UNESCO's representative list of intangible cultural heritage of humanity.

Grammy-winning music producer Christopher Alder will be the producer of the album. He has produced numerous orchestral and opera recordings with international musicians, including conductor Seiji Ozawa, violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter and tenor Jose Carreras.

"I am very much looking forward to doing recordings with the China National Traditional Orchestra and I am sure it will be an unforgettable experience. I hope that I can find some magic sounds for the 24 solar terms and the four seasons," Alder says in a video played during the music project's launching event on Feb 24.

According to Zhao Cong, head of the orchestra and also a veteran pipa (Chinese lute) player, the music project started more than three years ago after the Palace Museum and the orchestra signed a partnership agreement.

In 2020, the Palace Museum celebrated its 600th anniversary. The same year, the China National Traditional Orchestra celebrated its 60th birthday.

On Nov 14 and 15 that year, the orchestra staged two concerts with the Palace Museum, featuring music pieces highlighting traditional holidays, such as Spring Festival, Lantern Festival and Qingming Festival, or Tomb Sweeping Day.