NCPA embarks on a landmark summer tour, showcasing youthful talent, global vision and Chinese music's universal resonance, Julian Shea reports in London.

The National Centre for the Performing Arts has named Chinese Canadian violinist Li Zhe as executive director of its resident orchestra, a move announced just as the ensemble returned from its first full-scale European tour. The appointment marks both a personal milestone for Li, long-serving concertmaster and one of the orchestra's most senior players, and a symbolic moment for the group, which is striving for greater international recognition.

Founded in 2010, the Beijing-based NCPA Orchestra has grown rapidly in stature under the direction of internationally renowned conductors. This summer, led by maestro Myung-whun Chung, it performed at major festivals including the Edinburgh Festival in Scotland, Saffron Hall in England, the Santander International Festival in Spain, and in the German cities of Koblenz and Hamburg. In Hamburg, the orchestra received a standing ovation, a sign that the young ensemble is now ready to be measured on Europe's most competitive stages.

With an average age of 32, and comprising musicians from all over the world but mainly China, the orchestra brings together a wide range of young talent. It performs live to around 200,000 people annually, with millions more tuning in online.

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General manager Ren Xiaolong recalls suggesting to Chung that they tour together years ago, but the conductor wanted to wait until the group had matured. Only in 2019 did plans begin to take shape.

For Li, who has served as concertmaster since 2012, the timing was right. "It's just about waiting for the opportunity to do a proper tour," he says. "We toured Germany in earlier years, but this was our first true European tour. Europe is very important for classical music as this is where it comes from. The musicians needed to be ready artistically and mentally."

Born in 1978, Li studied at Beijing's Central Conservatory of Music before earning scholarships to the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London and the Universite de Montreal in Canada.

He gained professional experience with the London Symphony Orchestra and ensembles in Montreal, where he also served as a cultural envoy. Returning to China, he joined the Symphony Orchestra of the China National Opera House and then the NCPA Orchestra, rising to become concertmaster. Over his career, he has worked with celebrated conductors including Zubin Mehta and Lorin Maazel, contributed to the music for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, and twice received an Outstanding Performance Award from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

His new appointment recognizes not only his musical ability but also his role as a bridge between conductor and musicians. "In our orchestra, there are many young players who are passionate and well-trained," he says. "Around one-third come from other countries, including Spain and South Korea. Many have studied abroad. We are a very international orchestra."

That internationalism is reflected in the programming. On its European tour, the orchestra presented a blend of Western classics by composers such as Sergey Prokofiev and Camille Saint-Saens alongside Chinese works less familiar to Western audiences. Among them was Wu Xing (The Five Elements) by Chen Qigang, a student of French composer Olivier Messiaen. Li stresses that such choices demonstrate music's universality. "Music is a common language — Eastern, Western, it's all music," he says. "Chen's harmonies are French, but the melodies are Chinese. That mix is a good example of cultural dialogue."

The NCPA Orchestra also benefits from its home environment. The Beijing center is a cultural hub, hosting opera, ballet, theater, classical concerts, and traditional Chinese opera. Li believes this enhances the orchestra's artistry. "Opera playing is different from symphony playing — it has to fit with long singing phrases," he explains. "It is very good for us to learn both, because you take elements of operatic playing and mingle them with symphony playing, which gives a different spirit."

Chung echoed this sense of growth. While being interviewed in Hamburg, he said the young musicians should be proud of themselves.

Li also says that the ensemble has reached a new level of maturity.

"The average age of the members is much younger than me," he says with a laugh. "But that energy is good."

Ren says, "We are constantly expanding our boundaries — technically, cognitively, and in terms of team spirit. It is a process of self-cultivation for the orchestra."

The international dimension of the summer tour was strengthened by the participation of Bruce Liu, the French-born Chinese Canadian pianist who won the International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw in 2021. At 28, Liu is one of the most sought-after young pianists in the world, and he praised the collaboration as both fun and inspirational. He will perform in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, Guangdong province, later this year.

At home, the orchestra enjoys strong audience support. Concert halls in China now attract large numbers of young people who share reviews online and fuel discussions on platforms such as RedNote. Many parents encourage their children to learn music, and new concert halls have opened across the country. This enthusiasm has helped the NCPA Orchestra build a loyal following.

Li hopes he can guide an orchestra that combines international training, youthful energy, and a growing ambition to represent Chinese artistry abroad. "We are not robots, we are human beings," he says. "You cannot just switch from one style to another. You take elements and mingle them, and that makes for a different spirit. That's what we are aiming for."

From his first years as a student in Beijing to his studies abroad and professional work in London and Montreal, Li's career has mirrored the global journey of Chinese classical music itself. Now, as the NCPA Orchestra begins to establish its reputation in Europe, he is tasked with ensuring that the ensemble continues to grow.

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Zhao Haiying, executive vice-president of the NCPA, who led the tour, notes that the tour came shortly after the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and the European Union. He hoped the performances would help build new bridges of communication.

The European tour is unlikely to be the last. With more opportunities emerging, the orchestra aims to expand its international footprint while continuing to serve audiences at home.

Contact the writer at Julian@mail.chinadailyuk.com