Domenica 19 Dicembre 2004
China Philharmonic Orchestra (CPO)
The China Philharmonic Orchestra ("CPO") was established on May 25, 2000, on the basis of the former China Broadcasting Symphony Orchestra and under the auspices of China Radio, Film and Television Group, as a national level orchestra with 120 musicians. Long Yu is its current artistic director and principal conductor.
The CPO's predecessor, the China Broadcasting Symphony Orchestra ("CBSO"), was one of the first symphony orchestras to be founded in China after 1949, and has collaborated with many world class conductors, instrumentalists and singers. In the years following its founding, the CBSO gave concerts in cities all over China, and built up an impressive repertoire that included works by Chinese and western composers. The CBSO also toured to Italy, Switzerland, Germany, France, Spain, Austria, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan. Its performances were highly acclaimed by both the public and professional critics.
The founding of the CPO on the basis of the CBSO was a major event in China's musical development, and marked both the beginning of a new chapter in the history of symphonic music in China and the start of China's increasingly active role in the performance of western classical music. In line with standard world practice, the CPO finds its players by engaging outstanding musicians from China and other parts of the world. The CPO's unswerving commitment to player quality means that it now ranks among the largest and most promising orchestras in Asia. The CPO's seasons are planned so as to establish extensive