If you were on campus on March 28^th, you might have heard the applause ringing out around the SUSTech grounds. Invited by the university’s Art Center, the Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra came to delight students, professors and visitors with their “Fine Arts in the Campus” exclusive performance.

Audience queuing up early

Starting from 6pm, the line was already forming, right until 7pm, the time at which the audience was let into the hall, which was at full capacity. The performance was also available online through a live stream which clocked in a record 28 000 viewers.

Students and masters

The evening before, the orchestra shared some time with the students of SUSTech’s Art Troupe Symphony where they discussed with the musicians about their years of experience, sharing advice and anecdotes.

The scene of the concert

The Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra played a repertoire of classic works, with Western masterpieces such as Bizet and Giraud’s “Carmen Suite” and Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker”, but also revisited Chinese classic music in symphony versions such as “山丹丹开花红艳艳”(Siberian Lily blossoming bright red). They also delighted the crowd with classic movie soundtracks like “007”, “Phantom of the Opera” and “The Sound of Music”.

Orchestra Conductor Liu Ming

The concert started with a bang as the musicians launched into a version of the classic “Carmen”, each one totally immersed in the performance as if their hands and their instruments were one. Violinists swayed in time with the melodies, the conductor’s hands dancing, leading the musicians onto “Hungarian Dances”, “Salut D’Amour”, “Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg” and other magnificent classics, a musical feast for the audience.

Musicians playing

During the intermission, members of the audience were invited onto the stage to talk with the musicians. The second half of the perfomance changed to a more light-hearted theme, with drums bass and keyboards, launching into world-famous and timeless soundtracks such as “007” from the James Bond films, “Somewhere in Time” and “Phantom of the Opera”, each piece commanding more applause than the previous one.

The orchestra closed the performance with “Ladowski’s March” in which the audience couldn’t resist to accompany the music with applause.

The Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra was established in 1982 and after 30 years of building itself a reputation, it has become one of China’s most outstanding and recognized orchestra, with significant influence at home and abroad. Amongst the most famous musicians, we find violinist Nie Bing, music director Lin Daoyi, and art consultant Yu Long. Conductor Liu Ming graduated from the Cincinnati School of Music and the Houston Conservatory with a master’s degree in piano and command, and has been the permanent conductor of the orchestra since 2009.

The audience breaks into applause

The performance of the orchestra was a first for SUSTech, and was a major success. It integrates into a larger concept, which is to bring into the heart of the campus fine arts as a way for professors and students to embrace deeper emotions, understanding and feelings towards the artistic world.

Edited by: Jeremy Welburn. Photos by: Dong Xing, Dong Zeyu, Li Kai Yue, Zhang Hao Fan