A symphony of past and future

Another milestone is the appointment of conductor Zhang Xian as principal guest conductor in the new season. Highly regarded on the international stage, Zhang will bring her own artistic stamp with performances of Mozart's Symphony No 39.

"My connection with the China NCPA Orchestra began with our first collaboration in 2015. Since then, we have collaborated on stage in multiple seasons, creating numerous unforgettable moments," says Zhang, who is the music director of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra.

Zhang will collaborate with violinist Yang Tianwa to perform violin concertos of Sergei Prokofiev and Max Bruch. She will also perform with pianist Zhang Haochen on piano concertos of Ravel and of Chen Qigang, as well as Rachmaninoff's Symphony No 2.

"In this season, I look forward to exploring new forms of artistic expression with the orchestra. Every rehearsal and performance offers an opportunity to expand our musical horizons," she adds.

The guest roster is among the richest in the orchestra's history. Valery Gergiev will lead the Mariinsky Symphony Orchestra and the China NCPA Orchestra in Shostakovich's Leningrad Symphony No 7 in C Major Op 60 and The Yellow River Piano Concerto, featuring pianist Lou Wei, while Jaap van Zweden, Fabio Luisi and Lawrence Foster are among other world-renowned conductors set to appear. Soloists include violinists Augustin Hadelich and Viktoria Mullova, pianist Lukas Geniusas, and soprano Sarah Brightman, alongside rising Chinese talents and winners of major international competitions.

At 80, celebrated composer Bao Yuankai has completed a landmark commission: a choral-symphonic version of Chinese Sights and Sounds. First composed as an orchestral suite in 1991, the work has been expanded and refined across 34 years. In November, it will receive its world premiere under the baton of conductor Qian Junping, with soloists Wang Hongwei and Wu Bixia, joined by the China NCPA Chorus and the Beijing Philharmonic Choir.

Another highlight is the expansion of the Petit & Delicacy series, introduced in the previous season and already beloved for its blend of refinement and exploration.

This season, the series expands to 17 programs across 22 concerts, offering a rich journey through musical history. Audiences will encounter the pioneering symphonic experiments of composers, including Tomaso Albinoni, Bach and Haydn, the timeless classics of Mozart, Beethoven and Tchaikovsky, as well as inventive new works by Arvo Part and contemporary Chinese composers. Together, these programs balance intimacy and discovery, bridging past and present with elegance and imagination.

The NCPA has named violinist Li Zhe as the new executive director of the China NCPA Orchestra on Sept 5, a move announced just as the ensemble returned from its first full-scale European tour.

Li emphasizes that the season will be more than a sequence of concerts. Music lovers can expect lectures, workshops and master classes with acclaimed artists, offering deeper insight into the stories behind the music. The orchestra will also host regular public rehearsals, inviting audiences to witness the process of performance taking shape from the very first note.

"In March 2010, when the orchestra was officially established, we were filled with new hope mixed with confusion. What the orchestra would become in a few years or a decade was not clear to us then," recalls Li. "The 65 musicians who came to Beijing from all over the world carried youthful energy. They laid an extraordinary foundation, embedding passion, vitality, openness and collaboration into the DNA of the orchestra."

"We have shared many historical moments together, which help us to gain clearer insights about our future," he adds.