In its first visit since 1996, Asia’s oldest symphony orchestra returns to Australia under maestro Long Yu, hailed by The New York Times as “China’s Herbert von Karajan”. The program balances East and West with contemporary Chinese works by Qigang Chen and Elliot Leung alongside Rachmaninov and Tchaikovsky. Soloists include cellist Jian Wang and pianist Serena Wang in her Australian debut. Founded in 1879, the orchestra featured on the Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon soundtrack and has performed at Carnegie Hall and the BBC Proms. (See page 65.)

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Maestro Long Yu conducts the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra in a thrilling concert featuring cellist Jian Wang in the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall.

Founded in 1879, the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra is one of the earliest and best-known orchestral ensembles of its kind in Asia. Through its mission of ‘music connecting worlds’ the orchestra showcases Chinese and Western orchestral music, performing at venues from Carnegie Hall to the Royal Concertgebouw, first touring to Australia in the 1970s.

In 2026, Maestro Long Yu conducts the orchestra in its much-anticipated Sydney Opera House return, featuring acclaimed cellist Jian Wang.