Guiyang Symphony commemorates Shostakovich's 50th death anniversary

The Symphony of Era – National Excellent Orchestras Invitation Exhibition continued this week with two programmes presented at the Shanghai Symphony Hall by the Guiyang Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Dr Zhang Guoyong, its Music Director.Tuesday night’s performance featured an all-Shostakovich programme in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Russian composer’s death. The programme included the Festival Overture, Piano Concerto No. 2 featuring pianist Song Siheng, and the powerful Symphony No. 5 in the second half.Dr Zhang has led the Guiyang Symphony since 2016, a period marked by transformation for the once troubled and underfunded ensemble. Under his artistic leadership, the orchestra has seen notable growth, with municipal subsidies from the Guiyang government now covering nearly half of its annual budget— a substantial increase compared to previous years.In its first concert of the series, the orchestra showcased works by Chinese composers Wang Xilin, Zhao Jiping, and Guo Wenjing, reflecting the exhibition’s commitment to contemporary domestic repertoire.The Symphony of Era continues tonight with the Beijing Symphony Orchestra’s opening programme, which features a movement entirely generated by artificial intelligence—a first for the event. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit klassikom.substack.com