Hangzhou Philharmonic Orchestra Hangzhou Philharmonic Orchestra

Founded on April 20th 2009, Hangzhou Philharmonic Orchestra (HPO) has established itself as one of most promising and exciting symphony orchestras in China. The orchestra has ventured to perform across all disciplines of arts in concert, opera, ballet, chamber music and film score to critical acclaim.

Under the leadership of Deng Jingshan, its President, the orchestra has engaged Yang Yang as Music Director and Chief Conductor. In April, 2015, Maestro Long YU, the CPO Artistic Director, was appointed as the director of HPO Artistic Committee. Some of the foremost names have appeared as Artists-in-residence: violinist Ning Feng, cellist Qin Liwei, French horn player Han Xiaoming and pianist Kun-Woo Paik, Zhang Haochen.

An impressive array of world renowned musicians has performed with HPO in the past years, including Gary Graffman, Kun-Woo Paik, Shlomo Mintz, Krzysztof Penderecki, Alban Gerhardt, Andrei Gavrilov, Gennady Rozhdestvensky, Gidon Kremer, Carl St. Clair, Maxim Vengerov, Sumi Jo, Chung Myung-whun, Midori, Daniel Hope, Barry Douglas, Leif Segerstam, Natalia Gutman, Jon Kimura Parker, Klaus Peter Flor, Ryu Goto, Gautier Capuçon, Gunther Herbig etc.

HPO has performed with Lin Daye, Zhang Guoyong, Chen Xieyang, Bian Zushan, He Zhanhao, Hu Yongyan, Tan Dun, Yu Feng, Yu Long, Yip Wing-sie, Li Xincao, Vera Tsu, Ning Feng, Qian Zhou, Chen Sa, Qin Liwei, Lv Siqing, Lang Lang, Wang Jian, Yang Xuefei, Zhang Liping, He Hui, Huang Ying, Dai Yuqiang, Wei Song, Warren Mok, Zhang Jianyi, Yuan Chenye, Shen Yang, Cho-Liang Lin, Shui Lan.

All over the years HPO has presented a series of concerts and operas. Some of the highlights include China Grand Canal at Peking University and Rachmaninoff’s Second Symphony at the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing, ballet Marco Polo’s Last Mission during Shanghai Expo, concert version La bohème in Hangzhou, La traviata in a full stage co-production with Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Benjamin Britten’s Noye’s Fludde in Shanghai and the China premiere of Peter Grimes in Beijing. HPO has contributed Verdi’s Reqiuem and Mahler’s Second Symphony during the composers’ centennials. HPO has also performed Brahms’s Ein Deutsches Requiem with The Bach Choir. In October, 2014, HPO was invited to Wuhan to attend The Third China Opera Festival for concert edition La Traviata. In May, 2015, HPO was invited to attend 32nd Shanghai Spring International Music Festival for Exhibition and Performance of New Artists and Programs from Yangtze River delta, presenting HPO commissioned program, Seven Episodes of West Lake by Ye Xiaogang.

Aside from regular concerts, HPO has been engaged by major music competitions in China and drawn wide praise. Outside of China it has toured extensively to Slovenia, German, Italy, Russia and Estonia and performed at leading festivals including the prestigious Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival and Beijing Music Festival. In Aug 2014, HPO was invited by Taormina Festival in Italy for cooperation in opera Pagliacci and Cavalleria Rusticana.

A champion of contemporary music and living composers, HPO has premiered Zhou Tian’s China Grand Canal. HPO commissioned and premiered Seven Episodes of West Lake by Ye Xiaogang in 2012, Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains by Wen Tao in 2013, Man Jiang Hong by Guo Wenjing in 2014, which would world premier on the 18th Beijing Music Festival.

Cultural exchange programme being an integral part, the orchestra has partnered with Berliner Philharmoniker’s board, Philadelphia Orchestra and Yong Siew Toh Conservatory. Each year eight members of the orchestra will be recommended to work with Berliner Philharmoniker in Berlin in order to refine their musical taste. Besides, an education program has been initiated between HPO and Shanghai Conservatory of Music, HPO has become the Practical Training Base of Professional Degrees of Shanghai Conservatory of Music.

In October, 2014, HPO’s first recording was with violinist Ning Feng by Universal Music Group and Channel Classics Records. And the recording is released all over the world in October 2015.

As a city orchestra, HPO is deeply rooted in the local community and has presented a series of audience outreach events as its priority. Reasonable ticket price, complimentary programme book and free educational programmes have earned HPO a large following. The residency at Hangzhou Grand Theatre and over 40 subscription concerts have won it much respect and lots of love.