Orchestral music lovers in Sheffield have the rare opportunity to experience one of Asia’s most revered orchestras at Sheffield City Hall, as the Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra (SZSO) embarks on its first ever UK tour – a long-awaited “dream of mine”, says conductor Daye Lin.
The first live orchestral performances of the Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon film music by Tan Dun since its release two decades ago will feature on the eight-concert-tour, alongside thrilling pieces by Chausson and Mahler.
The orchestra’s debut UK tour will see more than 100 musicians on stage presenting a fantastically wide-ranging and impressive programme that unusually features both film and orchestral music.
Daye Lin, SZSO music director and principal conductor, says: “It has been a dream of mine for a long time to bring the China Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra to the UK and we can’t wait to perform for UK audiences across the country. We hope to welcome orchestral audiences new and old – we’ve created a programme that includes moments of exciting drama, serene beauty, and virtuosic brilliance, which we know British audiences will enjoy.”
Tamsin Waley-Cohen, solo violinist, says: “After touring China in 2019, it will be a joy to have this rare opportunity to perform with a Chinese orchestra in Britain, especially one as exciting as the Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra, conducted by the supremely talented Daye Lin. We will be performing a piece by Chausson which enthralled me playing it as a teenager, and I’m now finding great joy in revisiting it. I can’t wait to bring this music to audiences around the UK.”
The programme includes the UK’s first live orchestral performances of film score excerpts from the Academy Award-winning hit movie Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon since its release over 20 years ago, which blends Chinese ceremonial and classical music together in action-packed drama. The film score was composed by Tan Dun, who is also the SZSO’s principal honorary conductor. The programme also features Mahler’s ‘Titan’ First Symphony and Chausson’s Poème, a fantastical story about a woman seduced by a former lover with an enchanted violin, for which the SZSO will be joined by acclaimed and internationally renowned violinist Tamsin Waley-Cohen.
Since the orchestra was founded over 40 years ago in Shenzhen, the city has transformed from a small fishing village into China’s third most populous city and a global technology hub. The SZSO grew from this backdrop and now represents the rich culture of Shenzhen, under the direction of Daye Lin, one of the most exciting young conductors in China.
Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra (SZSO)
Sheffield City Hall, Sheffield
Thursday 14 March, 7pm
For tickets and more information visit: https://www.sheffieldcityhall.co.uk/event/ChinaShenzhenSymphonyOrchestra