In 1996, the Shanghai Broadcasting Symphony Orchestra was established through a merger with the Shanghai Film Orchestra and Shanghai Broadcasting Orchestra. Headed by former music director HU Yongyan, it made great progress and developed into a professional symphony orchestra. In April 2004, it was renamed the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra (SPO), with the celebrated conductor CHEN Zuohuang as its artistic director, began to adopt the world’s most prevalent system of music seasons. In January 2008, conductor ZHANG Liang acted as its permanent conductor. In March 2009, the world-renowned conductor TANG Muhai became its artistic director. Since January 2018, the well-known conductor ZHANG Yi has served as its third artistic director, leading it to embark on a new journey.

 

 

In recent years, the SPO has successively staged the following masterpieces: Violin Concerto of Benjamin Britten (premiere in China), Bernstein Mahler's works (Symphony No.1 in D major “The Titan”, Symphony No. 2 in C minor “Resurrection”, Symphony No. 3 in D minor, Symphony No. 4 in G major, Symphony No. 5 in C sharp minor and Symphony No. 7 in E minor), Saint-Saëns's Symphony No. 3 “Organ”, The Firebird Suite by Igor Stravinsky, the oratorio Messiah by Handel, Pictures at an Exhibition by Mussorgsky, Dante Symphony by Franz Liszt, Beethoven’s pieces (Symphony No. 4 in B-flat major, Op. 60, Symphony No. 6 in F major “Pastorale”, Op. 68, Symphony No. 7 in A major, and Symphony No. 9 in D minor “Choral”, Op. 125), The War Symphonies (Symphony Nos. 7, 8 and 9) and Violin Concerto No. 1 in A minor by Shostakovich, Concerto for Orchestra and Violin Concerto No. 2 by Bartok, Hary Janos Suite by Kodaly, Manfred Symphony by Tchaikovsky, Scottish Fantasy by Bruch, Symphony No. 3 in A minor “Scottish” by Mendelssohn, Symphonic Metamorphosis of Themes by Carl Maria von Weber and Symphony: Mathis der Maler by Paul Hindemith, Der Ring des Nibelungen by Wagner, Richard Strauss’s works (Eine Alpensinfonie, Op. 64, Ein Heldenleben, Op. 40, Also sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30, and Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche, Op. 28), Symphony No. 6 in A major (WAB 106) by Anton Bruckner, Symphony No. 1 in E major, Op. 26 by Alexander Nikolayevich Scriabin, Symphony No.5 in B-flat major, Op. 55 by Glazunov, and Rachmaninoff's works (Symphonic Dance, Op. 45, Symphony No. 2 in E minor, Op. 27 and Symphony No. 3 in A minor, Op. 44).

 

Conductor: Zhang Yi

 

 

ZHANG Yi is President of China National Symphony Orchestra and Music Director of Zhejiang Symphony Orchestra. He is an expert awarded the government allowance by the State Council, and a person of ability in line with “the four requirements” of the Propaganda Department of the Central Committee of the CPC. He cooperated in concerts, operas and ballet performances with a large number of famous domestic and foreign orchestras, such as the China National Symphony Orchestra, China Philharmonic Orchestra, Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, German Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, Württemberg Chamber Orchestra of Germany, Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra Victoria of Australia, National Symphony Orchestra of Cuba and Royal Swedish Opera. He has been to Europe, Americas, Australia and Asia, and worked with famous domestic and foreign artists including Leonidas Kavakos, Emmanuel Pahud, Wenzel Fuchs, Renaud Capu?on, Thibaudet, Myung-Wha Chung, Sarah Chang and Lang Lang.

 

ZHANG Yi conducted the Chinese premieres of many Chinese and foreign works, such as Stravinsky’s A Soldier’s Story, YE Xiaogang’s Nine Horses, CHEN Qigang’s Extase, Mozart’s Mass in C minor and Rossini’s Stab at Mater. Additionally, he has released many recordings of Chinese and foreign works, such as the album of YE Xiaogang’s symphonic works published by WERGO, and the album of British works produced with London Philharmonic Orchestra and cellist QIN Liwei for DEECA. Having conducted the performance of a great many contemporary Chinese and Western musical works, ZHANG Yi won “Outstanding Contribution Award” from Beijing Modern Music Festival.

 

Cello: Liwei Qin

 

 

Born in Shanghai in 1976, Liwei Qin moved to Australia in 1989 where he studied with Nelson Cooke at Melbourne University. In 1995 he received a scholarship to study with Ralph Kirshbaum at the RNCM in Manchester, U.K. During his studies Mr. Qin won numerous prizes including the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s 1993 Young Performer of the Year, the First Prize in the Adam International Cello Competition in 1997, a Special Distinction in the Rostropovich International Cello Competition, and the Gold Medal in the Royal Overseas League Competition. Described by Paul Cutts in The Strad as “the most gifted young cellist I have heard,” Liwei Qin won the Silver Medal in the 1998 Tchaikovsky International Competition in Moscow. Mr. Qin is currently a scholar-in-residence at the RNCM.

 

Mr. Qin has performed extensively throughout Asia, Australia and Europe. As a concerto soloist he has performed with the Melbourne, Sydney, Tasmanian, New Zealand, BBC Scottish, and Singapore symphony orchestras, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Welsh National Opera Orchestra, Sinfonia 21, State Symphony Orchestra of Russia, Warsaw Sinfonia, and the National Symphony and National Radio orchestras of China. He has worked with many conductors including Alexander Lazarev, Valery Polinsky, Lord Menuhin, Simone Young, Jorge Mester, Martyn Brabbins and Vernon Handley.

 

Viola: Wenxiao Zheng

 

 

Born in China in 1981, Wen Xiao Zheng was accepted as a violin student at the Conservatory in Shanghai at the age of ten. At 14, he switched to the viola and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree cum laude.

 

Further stages of his musical training include the Escuela Superiorde Música Reina Sofia in Madrid, where he studied with Gérard Caussé, the Music Academy in the German city of Detmold – at this time Diemut Poppen was his musical mentor – and the Music Academy in Munich, where he was instructed by Hariolf Schlichtig. In 2009, he completed his education with a concert examination and a diploma in chamber music. He received further motivation in master classes with Yuri Bashmet.

 

Edvard Grieg:Peer Gynt Suite No.1 Op.46(Excerpts)

Carl Nielsen:Flute Concerto

Jean Sibelius:Symphony No.3 in C major Op.52

Jean Sibelius:Finlandia Op.26