Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra's debut UK tour with acclaimed violinist Tamsin Waley-Cohen to bring first ever live orchestral performances of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon to a national audience

LONDON, Feb. 11, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Orchestral music lovers have the rare opportunity to experience one of Asia's most revered orchestras from 11-22 March, as the China Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra embarks on its debut UK tour.

The eight-concert tour includes London, Birmingham, Manchester and Edinburgh. Over 100 musicians will perform an impressive programme that unusually includes film scores and orchestral pieces.

It includes excerpts from Academy Award-winning movie Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, which blends Chinese ceremonial and classical music in action-packed drama. The film score was composed by the orchestra's principal honorary conductor, Tan Dun.

It also features Saint-Saëns' Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso, and Chausson's Poème, a story about a woman seduced by a former lover with an enchanted violin, accompanied by internationally renowned violinist Tamsin Waley-Cohen.

Respighi's Pines of Rome and Fountains of Rome will be uniquely performed as a duo. These lavishly orchestrated tone poems written for large orchestras capture the essence of Rome with vivid portraits of bustling streets, pines against a moonlit sky, and the marching tread of a Roman army.

In 40 years, Shenzhen has become China's third most populous city and global technology hub. The orchestra has grown within this backdrop, showcasing the rich culture of the city, under the direction of Daye Lin, one of the most exciting young conductors in China.

Lin says: "It has been a dream for a long time to bring the Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra to the UK. We hope to welcome orchestral audiences new and old with a programme that includes exciting drama, serene beauty, and virtuosic brilliance."

Waley-Cohen says: "It is 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 Chausson and Saint-Saens, both works that enthralled me as a teenager, and I'm finding great joy in revisiting them. I can't wait to bring them to UK audiences."

UK tour schedule

11 March – Birmingham Symphony Hall

13 March – Cadogan Hall

14 March – Sheffield City Hall

15 March – Bridgewater Hall, Manchester

17 March – Usher Hall, Edinburgh

18 March – Perth Concert Hall

20 March – The Anvil, Basingstoke

22 March – Croydon Fairfield Halls

More info: https://imgartists.com/roster/china-shenzhen-symphony-orchestra-10-22-march-2024/

Photos available: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/oxww37vudqukf8qn8skw5/h?rlkey=71qxroxbws7wdwysfnksthhr5&dl=0