About
As a national-level orchestra directly under the Ministry of Culture, China National Traditional Orchestra, founded in 1960 under the direction of Premier ZHOU Enlai, is regarded as the standard-setter, model and benchmark of China's folk music performance. The Orchestra, made up of folk orchestra, chorus and art creation centre, boasts a group of musicians and sharp-sighted managers. LI Huanzhi (January 1919 to March 2000), famous composer and former Chairman of China Musicians' Association, had served as its first President and now XI Qiang, a member of CPPCC, Chinese string instrument artist and musicologist, is at the wheel.
China National Traditional Orchestra not only performs typical traditional music in various forms but dabbles in contemporary Chinese music, western classic music and other genres.
Adhering to popularizing traditional Chinese music and culture, the Orchestra collects, arranges and performs a great variety of excellent folk music and contemporary selected works, adding a glorious stroke to China's traditional music. Chairman MAO Zedong and DENG Xiaoping, Premier ZHOU Enlai as well as foreign heads of state had visited the Orchestra time after time. Over these years, the Orchestra has produced a large number of eminent folk music talents, such as LI Huanzhi, TANG Rongmei, QIN Pengzhang and LIU Wenjin. Moreover, the Orchestra has also cooperated with such famous musicians as Christoph Eschenbach, Jean Michel Jarre, Yo-Yo Ma and Minoru Miki.
Since its inception, the Orchestra has visited dozens of places - Asia, Europe and America, for performance besides tours around China. In 1993, the Orchestra founded the Asia Orchestra together with the Ensemble Nipponia and National Orchestra of Korea to promote art creation and exchanges of Asian folk music. In 1997, the Orchestra toured dozens of cities in America at the invitation of ICM and staged with world-renown cellist Yo-Yo Ma at the Carnegie Hall. In 1998, 1999 and 2010, the Orchestra staged the Grand Spring Festival Concerts at the Golden Hall of Vienna, Austria, whose performance won warm applause from the audience.
Not only does the Orchestra maintain traditional music genre, but attempt to breathe new life into it by creating innovative performances, such as Golden Melody, Music Gallery, Grand Folk Music, Melody of A Century, My Magnificent Country, Charming Moonlight, as well as annul Mid-autumn Concert held by the NCPA, weekly "Refined Chinese Music" Concerts, arousing extensive favour from audience and making great contribution for the development of traditional Chinese music.