Curtain rises on Chinese Orchestra multimedia concert

Ti Gong

The Shanghai Chinese Orchestra opened its second round of multimedia concerts at the Shanghai Concert Hall over the weekend.

Originally scheduled for March, they were postponed due to the COVID resurgence, and will now run through to September 2.

Audience goers need a 72-hour negative nucleic test to enter the hall which is at 50 percent of its capacity.

"Rehearsing the concerts with the artists again brings a completely new understanding for life in every musical notes," said Ma Junfeng, director of the concert titled "Traditional Music Rises from the Sea Horizon."

"The musicians, each with a different understanding from their performance last year, have brought richer and more touching tones to the music.

"Directing it from the audience's seats bring all kinds of complicated feelings for me."

Ti Gong

The concert is an upgrade of the most popular concert by Shanghai Chinese Orchestra in recent years, and has been performed more than 80 times in over 30 cities around the world since it premiered in 2016.

Last year, it was upgraded into a multimedia residency show at the concert hall, together with the eight-minute lighting show "Tale of Light and Music" and an immersive exhibition about traditional Chinese music.

The well-acclaimed package is back with revisions based on last year's feedback, including new limited edition gift bags that contain a themed mask, bag and stickers.

"We learnt from the first round last year that most people who came to the concert also love taking pictures and purchasing some themed gifts only available here, or for the show," explained Fang Liang, general manager of the concert hall.

"So this year, we added some themed boards that can serve as background for pictures, and added three new gift bags to choose from."

Ti Gong