The Suzhou Chinese Orchestra returned to Suzhou on February 11 after a 25-day European tour.
The tour, as a project supported by the China National Arts Fund and the Jiangsu Provincial Art Fund, staged 13 performances in nine countries, first stop at the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg in Germany on January 16 and last stop at the Zaryadye Concert Hall in Moscow, Russia on February 9.
"Performing at the world-class concert halls, with the audience saying ‘Happy New Year’ to us in Chinese, makes it the most meaningful Spring Festival to me”, said Gao Shan, member of the orchestra.
The 20,000-kilometer tour attracted officials from 12 Chinese embassies and consulates in Europe and more than 15,000 local audiences, who purchased tickets to watch the performance, according to Zhu Changyao, art director of the orchestra.
At the last stop of the tour in Moscow, the performance also served as the opening ceremony of the event to celebrate Chinese New Year and the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Russia, which was organized by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. At this performance, the audience applauded for two minutes after each program.
"We want to bring the Chinese music and the Chinese New Year to the whole world", said Peng Jiapeng, a famous conductor who performed at the Wiener Musikverein in Austria for 13 times. Since Peng took the role as the creative director and chief conductor of the Suzhou Chinese Orchestra one year ago, he has spent most of his time rehearsing and performing in Suzhou.
During this round of European tour, the orchestra received high praises on its performance and programs from audiences of different countries, nationalities and cultures, which rendered Peng and the orchestra greater confidence and motivation.
(source:jschina.com.cn）
