Britain gets talent

A highlight of the tour will be the double performance of Italian composer Ottorino Respighi's Pines of Rome and Fountains of Rome, lavishly orchestrated tone poems written for large orchestras.

The choice of Mahler's Symphony No 1 in D Major goes with the theme of the Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra's UK tour: the harmonious fusion of the East and the West. Also known as Titan, Lin says the piece reflects the composer's vision of a symphony embracing the world.

"The music that the Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra is going to perform during their debut UK tour is like a touchstone. They have the capacity to play the international level," says Wray Armstrong, general manager of Poly Armstrong International Arts and Communication Co, co-organizer of the orchestra's tour. He says that Chinese orchestras are now bridging the talent gap between themselves and major Western orchestras.

His company represents a number of the world's leading classical music artists and promotes cultural exchange between China and the West through classical music. Armstrong came to China about 14 years ago. Before that, he worked in London for 17 years. With a career in the classical music business spanning four decades, he says that he is very excited to be part of China's booming classical music scene, which is seeing audiences made up of a growing number of young people and a lot of talented musicians appearing on the international stage.

He also says that in the West, there is a slow process of developing an appreciation for Asian orchestras.

"People (in the West) love Asian soloists and conductors. When we finally got the tour, we were very excited because we will have concerts taking place across the UK at top concert halls in major cities, as well as holding events like pre-concert talks, which will enable the orchestra to engage in a deeper communication with British audiences," he says.

Before hitting the road, the Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra performed several concerts in Shenzhen featuring the programs it has chosen for the UK tour, which, as Lin says, "warmed up the musicians".

"The orchestra has just experienced a generational change with senior musicians retiring and new members coming through. Compared to many of the world's established symphony orchestras, which have a very long history, we are still growing. This UK tour is an important part of the orchestra's development," says Lin.

"After decades of hard work, the Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra has become a strong orchestral force, both at home and abroad. We will showcase its technical prowess and interpretive skills, as well as building platforms for not only musicians, but also people from the two countries to communicate," says Nie Bing, president of the Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra.

"We have brought many great musicians and symphony orchestras from the West to China, including the London Symphony Orchestra. We will bring the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra to China this year as part of a strategic cooperation signed with them last year," says Yao Rui, general manager of the Beijing Poly Theatre Management Co, co-organizer of the Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra's UK tour. "We want to create a two-way communication, bringing top Chinese artists to the West."

The UK tour is also supported by the Shenzhen Vitalization Symphony Development Foundation, which was launched in 2018 and is devoted to promoting classical music in the city.