Music | Gothenburg Symphony debut Chinese tour in town

The Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra have debuted their Chinese tour at the Macau Cultural Centre (CCM). According to a press release issued by CCM, a packed auditorium received the national orchestra of Sweden with enthusiasm as they played two orchestral masterpieces by legendary composers Mendelssohn and Sibelius, complemented by a new work from eminent Swedish composer Anders Hillborg.
Led by principal guest conductor Kent Nagano, the orchestra started with Anders Hillborg’s Beast Sampler, a contemporary piece performed for the first time in China. This was followed by Felix Mendelssohn’s most popular and romantic composition, Violin Concerto in E minor, performed by violin virtuoso Ray Chen. Chen was the winner of the Yehudi Menuhin and Queen Elisabeth competitions in 2008 and 2009 respectively. In the second half, the orchestra played Jean Sibelius’ Second Symphony.
Founded in 1905, the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra has long held a reputation of superiority both at home and abroad, as a major force in Europe. In 2013, American-Japanese conductor Kent Nagano started his tenure as the orchestra’s principal guest conductor as well as artistic advisor.
Complementing the concert, CCM invited Chow Fan Fu to host a pre-performance talk where the music critic unveiled in-depth stories both on the program and on the band. This activity offered attendees a chance to better understand the repertoire before the concert.