SSO and Robertson continue their Chinese odyssey with a concert in Beijing’s iconic NCPA.

The Sydney Symphony Orchestra has continued its tour to China with a gala concert in Beijing attended by an array of senior government officials in China as well as Australian Embassy staff.

Chief Conductor David Robertson told attendees at the National Centre for the Performing Arts that international touring was an essential part of the DNA of the SSO: “It’s not only a way for us to grow as an ensemble and forge new ties between ourselves – it’s a way to establish bonds of friendship with those who are not able to come to our home every week and hear us play.”

Robertson conducted the SSO in Beethoven’s Emperor concerto with Chinese soloist Haochen Zhang, Strauss’s Ein Heldenleben and a work we commissioned especially for the tour, Sound Lur and Serpent by Australian composer Andrew Schultz.

Chargé d’Affaires Justin Hayhurst was among those who attended the concert and said that the SSO “a model of how to succeed in China,” and praising them for making “a significant contribution to the rich cultural relationship between Australia and China”.

The SSO has built a strong partnership with Guangzhou’s Xinghai Conservatory as well as with Beijing’s...