The Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra's new season will premiere multiple works in both the world and China, marking the opening of the Shanghai Hangzhou Twin Cities. Tchaikovsky | Hachaturian | China

On the evening of August 27th, the opening concert of the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra's 2023-2024 music season was held at the Shanghai Shangyin Opera House. On September 8th, the same set of songs from the original team will be performed at the Grand Canal Theater in Hangzhou, Zhejiang. This is the fourth time in recent years that the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra has performed a dual city opening concert. In the new season, the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra has arranged 24 sets of 25 concerts, including six major series: Masters and Classics, Journey to the Earth, Music Prism, Approaching Love, Chamber Music, and Festivals.

The band will perform multiple works for world or Chinese premieres, such as Liu Hao's Guzheng Concerto "River Wind and Moon", Pfizner's theatrical score "Heilbrond's Little Kaiqin" overture, Debussy's early masterpiece "The Wanderer", and Wu Manche's "Towards the Sea" and "Dream Time". Nearly 30 Chinese and foreign musicians will collaborate with orchestras to present music from multiple countries. At the same time, the orchestra will also use symphonic language to tell Chinese stories.

Zhang Yi, the artistic director of the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra, said, "The Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra has been tirelessly exploring its repertoire, conquering heavyweight works on the one hand, and exploring obscure masterpieces on the other. Shanghai music fans are increasingly pursuing the quality, experience, and diversity of concerts, and their suggestions often inspire us. On the other hand, we are committed to promoting original Chinese symphonic works, hoping to enhance cultural exchange between China and foreign countries through music dialogue."

Unlock master classics and grow in self challenge

In 2023, the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra's "Masters and Classics" series will hold 14 themed concerts, marking the commemorative year of music masters such as Ligeti, Hachaturian, Tchaikovsky, Brahms, Berlioz, Rachmaninov, Verdi, Wagner, and Grieg.

To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Ligeti, the 120th anniversary of the birth of Hachaturian, and the 130th anniversary of Tchaikovsky's death, the opening concert performed the works of three composers. Ligeti's "Atmosphere" takes the audience back to the vast deep space of the movie "2001: A Space Odyssey", Hachaturian's "Violin Concerto" is performed by violinist Huang Mengla, who won the gold medal at the Paganini International Violin Competition, and Tchaikovsky's "Third Orchestra Suite" is equally exciting.

Huang Mengla said, "Haqiaturang's" Violin Concerto "is rarely performed now, and I am excited to have the opportunity to try new pieces. Although performing this work is not easy, I really like it. Every once in a while, whether listening to the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra perform or working with them, there is always a refreshing feeling, and I can hear the orchestra growing rapidly and maturing through unremitting self challenges."

On the occasion of the 220th anniversary of the birth of French composer Berlioz, the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra will perform excerpts from the Romeo and Juliet suite and the Fantasy Symphony. On October 13th, 2023 marks the 150th anniversary and 80th anniversary of Rachmaninov's birth and death. Pianist Kong Xiangdong will join hands with the orchestra to present Rachmaninov's "Third Piano Concerto," which is known as "one of the most difficult piano works in the world.".

On November 2nd, the band will invite Japanese youth conductor Makoto Shibata to visit Shanghai and jointly perform numerous opera overtures by Verdi and Wagner, paying tribute to the 210th anniversary of the birth of the "opera duo". The first suite of Edward Grieg's representative work "Pel Gint" will also be presented on the stage of the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra's 2023-2024 music season, commemorating the 180th anniversary of the birth of this representative figure of the 19th century European national music movement.

2024 marks the 160th anniversary of the birth of German composer Richard Strauss. In March 2024, the orchestra will perform the classic symphonic poem "So Says Zarathustra", which was created by Richard Strauss based on Nietzsche's philosophical masterpiece of the same name.

In addition, to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the birth of composer Anton Bruckner, as the earliest Chinese orchestra to complete a complete set of Bruckner symphonies, the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra will once again perform Bruckner's Symphony No. 7 in E major at the closing concert in 2024.

Chinese and foreign artists on stage, wandering the world in music

In the 2023-2024 music season, nearly 30 Chinese and foreign artists will appear on the Shanghai Philharmonic Stage, including conductors Shibata Zhenyu, Pablo Miyergo, Xu Zhong, Zhao Xiaoou, Fan Ni, Ouyang Wangjian, flute master Gaeli Izech, pianist Valery Avanasiev, Gerhard Opitz, Alexei Flouting, Kong Xiangdong, Kong Jianing, Song Siheng, Sun Yingdi, Tan Xiaotang, Yuan Jie, violinist Huang Mengla and Huang Bin, cellist Qin Liwei, guzheng performer Luo Jing, and singer Song Qian. Han Peng, Dou Qianming, etc.

After five years of absence from the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra, conductor Max Boehmer will once again lead the band in the 2023-2024 music season. At the age of 88, Boehmer will collaborate with cellist Xu Xuanhan to perform symphonic works by Bach, Schumann, and Brahms.

Master conductor Hubert Sudante is an old friend of the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra. In May this year, Sudante became the first overseas musician of the year to conduct a full concert in Shanghai. In the new season, for the third time, Su Dante from the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra will collaborate with Italian Paganini violin competition gold medalist Huang Bin to perform Beethoven's Violin Concerto in D major and Symphony No. 3 in E-flat major.

What kind of sparks do symphony and rock collide to create? The concert "Symphonic Rock Bach Universe" composed and directed by Tan Dun will be performed in the new season. In addition, "Russian born genius pianist" Valery Avanasiev will perform Beethoven's "Third Piano Concerto" on March 29 next year. German pianist Gerhard Opitz will perform Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 24 in C minor for Shanghai audiences at the closing concert in July next year.

In the 2023-2024 music season, the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra has launched a new "Happy Earth" series based on its two inherent concert brands, "Charming France" and "Exploring Russia". Add three themed concerts: "Iberian Music Style", "Strolling America", and "From Warsaw to Paris", leading the audience to experience the different charms of music from around the world.

This year, the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra has also collaborated deeply with QQ Music to continuously create a 24-hour online quality music hall for classical music enthusiasts; Cooperate with BesTV to "online music living room", and let the concert cover national IPTV and Internet TV platform users through live broadcast; Collaborate with Classic 947 to innovate the promotion and dissemination of classical music.