Overseas musicians strike harmonious note in China

More promising

Oboist Jung-Jun Ham, 37, who was born to a musical family in Seoul, the South Korean capital, started to learn the instrument when he was 16 and has played English horn with the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra since 2015. He said, "I'm convinced that Asia's classical music scene has become stronger and more promising in terms of the music offered."

In China, he has been impressed by senior concertgoers, describing them as "the authentic supporters who have set the stage for classical music in the nation".

"Looking back, I was eager to know what it would be like to work on music in such a large country, and that initial curiosity still gives me great pleasure," he said.

Chen Guangxian, director of China's Symphony Development Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded in 1994 aimed at popularizing and developing the nation's symphony orchestras, said the number of domestic orchestras has grown dramatically in recent years.

In about 2014, there were some 30 professional symphony orchestras in the country. Just three years later, the number had grown to more than 80.

The China National Symphony Orchestra, the Beijing Symphony Orchestra and the Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra are members of the foundation, as well as ensembles such as the Lanzhou Symphony Orchestra, the Xiamen Philharmonic Orchestra and the Kunming Nie'er Symphony Orchestra.

"There are opportunities not only for young Chinese musicians but also for those from around the world," Chen said. "As symphony orchestras mushroom around China, overseas musicians are heading to the country to make the most of these new opportunities."

Chen is also director of the Suzhou Symphony Orchestra, which was founded in 2016 and is based at the Suzhou Culture and Arts Center Grand Theater in Suzhou, Jiangsu province. With an average age of 30, the orchestra features about 80 musicians from 17 countries and regions, including China, the United Kingdom, Japan, South Korea and the US.