Symphony Kukai returns to London, bridging cultures through music

Behind the scenes

Bringing the London performance to fruition was both challenging and, in hindsight, serendipitous.

"We had confidence in this work—not only in its artistic value, but also in the spirit it carries," said Yue.

"At the same time, we knew that audiences often respond first to reputation. Having an orchestra like the London Philharmonic Orchestra perform the piece would allow it to be more readily recognized."

Yue approached a local agency in early 2025, hoping to stage the performance before the Chinese Spring Festival of 2026, which falls in the middle of this month (February).

"Given the limited time, we expected serious difficulties," he said. "To our surprise, the agency made it happen."

Matthew Freeman, consultant and project director for the production, recalled his first meeting with Yue in London. "He was only in the city for a very short time. I happened to be in central London on the day he was flying out, and through a Chinese colleague who said, 'I've got someone you should meet in London—can you do it now?' I raced across the city and met him in Paddington on his last day," Freeman said. "That was when he unpacked his vision for Symphony Kukai—to attract high-profile artists and high-profile musicians and prestigious venues to perform the work."

Turning that vision into reality within less than a year proved challenging.

"With a city like London, there are only three concert halls suitable for works like this, and just five or six orchestras capable of performing it, but Yue was very particular about choosing the best and world-class," Freeman said.

He added that, while top orchestras and conductors typically schedule two to four years in advance, aligning an orchestra, a venue, and a leading conductor within less than a year was like "solving a jigsaw puzzle".

He also described the production approach as unconventional. "In Western classical music, the normal process is that a composer gets a commission from an orchestra or an arts body. An orchestra pays the composer and often brings in other orchestras as co-commissioners. Before the piece is written, the music already has life, with multiple premieres built in," he explained.

"Yue did it completely differently. He got the music made, that's it. Now we look for performance opportunities."

"It's a bold move to do it," Freeman added. "To work that way, you have to have real belief in what you're doing."

While explaining this belief, Yue said that the spirit of Kukai—compassion, selflessness, and a dedication to benefiting all beings—is not only a teaching of Buddhism, but also reflects the wisdom and philosophy of the Chinese people: the pursuit of kindness within the human heart rather than confrontation, and agreement rather than argument. He added that this philosophy should be shared with the world and can contribute positively to it.

Read more: Symphony brings Kukai's inspiring story to global audiences