Suzhou Symphony Orchestra stages a performance in Beijing earlier this month. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)
Suzhou Symphony Orchestra and Suzhou Ballet Theatre, the pride of the culturally vibrant city of Suzhou in East China's Jiangsu province, recently performed in Beijing to promote Jiangnan culture and to celebrate the upcoming Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics.
Jiangnan refers to the region south of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River that has been eulogized by generations of poets.
On Jan 6, SSO enthralled the capital's music lovers during an Olympic-themed cultural festival entitled Meet in Beijing.
At the opening gala of the festival, 50 musicians from SSO and 50 musicians from China National Traditional Orchestra performed under the baton of conductor Chen Xieyang, SSO's music director.
Chen Guangxian, director of SSO, said performing in Beijing at this time was "of great significance".
He said it was an honor for the orchestra to be invited to perform at the opening gala of the Olympic cultural festival, which was an opportunity for the troupe to present Chinese culture to the world through the universal language of music.
On Jan 9, SSO performed at Beijing Concert Hall two pieces by Dmitri Shostakovich: The Gadfly Suite and Symphony No 10 in E Minor.
The concert was part of a Suzhou culture and arts week entitled Meet Jiangnan in Beijing, which is running through Thursday.
Chen Xieyang said the troupe has grown into a professional symphony orchestra in the five-plus years of its existence. It has achieved improvement in both performance and management.
Having performed multiple times in the capital, this time the orchestra "is still able to bring fresh surprises to the audience", he added.
From Dec 31 to Jan 8, Suzhou Ballet Theatre put on five performances in three theaters in Beijing, including staging My Name is Ding Xiang during the Olympic cultural festival.
The ballet production honors Bai Dingxiang, a woman from Suzhou who died a martyr at the age of 22 during the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45). She was pregnant when she died.
Another work SBT brought to Beijing was Gala-The Rite of Spring, which was performed at Tianqiao Theater on Dec 31 and Jan 1.
The composition is a fusion of works including The Rite of Spring, Legend of Beauty, Tang Yin and Carmen.
Wang Quanxing, director of SBT, said Gala-The Rite of Spring is a display of the uniqueness and diversity of the troupe's repertoire and the dancers' mastery of classical ballet, while My Name is Ding Xiang represents a breakthrough for the troupe in producing adaptations based on real-life stories.
"In the past two years, although our overseas performances were disrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we persisted in our efforts to tell China's story well and introduce Chinese culture to the world," Wang said.
"We hope we can showcase the charm of Chinese ballet and Jiangnan culture through producing quality works, participating in communication activities and engaging the public in the art of ballet."
The government of Suzhou has been ramping up support for the culture industry. SSO and SBT, founded in 2016 and 2007 respectively, are among the most representative of the city's cultural assets.
