“When the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra makes its Chicago-area debut Aug. 16 at the Ravinia Festival, no one will be prouder of the occasion than its music director, Long Yu,” writes Howard Reich in Wednesday’s (8/7) Chicago Tribune. “To him, the Shanghai ensemble will be… bringing with it a legacy stretching back to 1879, when it was established under a previous name. ‘This is the first orchestra not only in China, but in the Far East,’ says Yu…. That in itself is significant, but all the more considering the dramatic growth of classical music in China and elsewhere in Asia…. ‘In China, where we performed in this big (arts) center—where they have theater, concert halls and drama—that is so modern and fantastic, they told me that they are building a new hall,’ said Chicago Symphony Orchestra Music Director Riccardo Muti … Yu knows full well that he’s entering the territory of the CSO, which he reveres…. ‘People ask me what is the difference between Chinese orchestras and Western orchestras,’ says Yu. ‘Basically, no difference…. We teach every orchestra the same way, we rehearse the same way, we do the same programs.’ ”
Posted August 9, 2019
