The China Philharmonic Orchestra (CPO) was founded in Beijing in May 2000. For the past eighteen years CPO has achieved an astonishing leap forward and won wide attention home and abroad. CPO sets an example for the infinite potential of Chinese cultural renewal and economic boom, as witnessed by the rest of the world.

Yet one cannot comprehend CPO’s accomplishment without perceiving its exciting and enormous social frame. A large number of artists work together to fulfill their dreams with zealous passion and determination. This makes it possible to lead the great symphonic music course in China to a better and merrier destination. ‘Spring’s command, sweet necessity (Lenzes Gebot, die susse Not)’, as put by Hans Sachs in Richard Wagner’s Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg. With the motto “to be the best orchestra in China, leading in Asia and renowned in the world” set at the very beginning, CPO is bound to unveil a new chapter in the symphonic music scene.

And so be it and how true is sweet necessity. In the spring of 2009, CPO was named Most Inspiring Orchestras by Gramophone online, joining the glittering array of ten fellow orchestras including Berliner Philharmoniker, London Symphony Orchestra and New York Philharmonic Orchestra.

For that moment CPO has prepared for eighteen years with more than 500 programmes, presenting over 2,000 music pieces and attracting millions of audience. It has toured the country and the globe by more than half a million miles, an equivalent of circling the world 20 times.

China Philharmonic Orchestra was founded on the basis of China Broadcasting Symphony Orchestra and administered by the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television. Its opening concert was held on December 16, 2000 conducted by Artistic Director and Chief Conductor Long Yu.

As one of the youngest and most dynamic symphony orchestras in China, CPO takes pride in professionalism, a role model to be followed by its Chinese peers.

In the past eighteen years CPO has presented numerous premieres that are virtually nowhere to be found elsewhere in China and forged its own style through extensive artistic involvement. On October 21st 2001 Philip Glass’ Cello Concerto, commissioned by CPO, got its world premiere at Poly Theatre in Beijing. This is the first commissioned work by an oversee composer from music establishment in China ever.

CPO is the active and frequent advocate of Chinese music in the global sphere. The orchestra is involved in a wide range of tours including Taipei, Taichung, Hsinchu and Kaohsiung in 2001, North and Latin America in 2002, a world tour in 2005 covering 22 cities and many following tours to Europe and the United States of America.

Conductor: Long Yu

As one of the most distinguished Chinese conductors with an established international reputation, Maestro Long Yu is currently Artistic Director and Chief Conductor of the China Philharmonic Orchestra, Music Director of the Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra, Music Director of the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, Artistic Director of the Beijing Music Festival and Music in the Summer Air, MISA, as well as Principle Guest Conductor of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra.

Long Yu is one of the conductors who conducts the world top-class orchestras most frequently, he has appeared with a prestigious list of leading orchestras and a lot of opera companies around the world, including the New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, Montreal Symphony OrchestraWashington National Symphony, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre de Paris, Bamberg Symphony Orchestra, Hamburg State Opera, Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin, Rundfunk Sinfonie Orchester Leipzig, Munich Philharmonic Orchestra, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Hong Kong Philharmonic, Tokyo Philharmonic and Singapore Symphony Orchestra.

Soloist: Paloma SO

Eleven-year-old Paloma So is currently a student at Wycombe Abbey School, Buckinghamshire, UK. She started learning piano at the age of four and violin at five.

In February 2014, Paloma made her debut with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra playing Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 5. Later in 2014, Paloma was invited to perform Sarasate’s Gypsy Airs as a soloist in G20 Gala Dinner in Brisbane Australia. The following year Paloma collaborated with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra again, performing Bruch Violin Concerto No. 1. In July 2015, she joined Zakhar Bron chamber music tour in Germany and Switzerland. Paloma collaborated with Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra, playing Vieuxtemps Violin Concerto No. 5 in April 2016. The same month, Paloma was invited to perform on the same stage with David Garrett in Interlaken Music Festival, Switzerland as well as performing a duet piece with Prof. Zakhar Bron by Shostakovich and a solo Wieniawski Variations on an Original Theme in Berlin Philharmonie.

Beginning of this year 2017, together with Maxim Vengerov, Paloma played Navarra with the London Symphony Orchestra at the London Royal Festival Hall. She performed Wieniawski Violin Concerto No. 2 in May 2017 with China Philharmonic Orchestra in Beijing, and Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in Xian in July 2017. Later this year, Paloma is invited to perform Saint Saens Violin Concerto No. 3 in Singapore.

Paloma won the second prize at the prestigious 13th International Wieniawski Competition for Young Violinists in Lublin in 2015, and the first prize at Novosibirsk Violin Competition in 2016. After the competition Paloma played Bruch Violin Concerto with the Berlin Symphony Orchestra at the Berlin Philharmonie in November 2016.

Program

The Drunken Concubine (Based on the Peking Opera ‘Gui Fei Zui Jiu’)
Zou Ye (Orchestration)
Peking Opera Singer: Yi Wang

Concerto for violin and orchestra in e minor, Op.64 by Mendelssohn
Soloist: Paloma SO

Symphony No.5 in D minor, Op. 47 by Dmitri Shostakovich