Shanghai Symphony Orchestra To Tour
March 15, 2026 @ 5:00 pm
The pioneering Shanghai Symphony Orchestra under Conductor and Music Director Long Yu, will undertake a landmark tour of Australia, New Zealand and Singapore in March 2026, in a historic collaboration, performing music from both Eastern and Western traditions.
Founded in 1879, the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra is Asia’s oldest orchestra and a driving force in shaping China’s classical music landscape across three centuries. It is internationally recognised for its performance on the Oscar and Grammy-winning soundtrack to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, a landmark in Chinese musical and cinematic history. The Orchestra has performed at Carnegie Hall, the Berliner Philharmonie, Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, the BBC Proms and the Edinburgh International Festival.
The 2026 tour features works by two of China’s most prominent contemporary composers, Elliot Leung, the youngest-ever recipient of the 2023 Huabiao Award for Outstanding Composer, and Qigang Chen, praised by The Guardian for achieving a “sustained dialogue between Chinese and Western classical and cultural traditions.” A vibrant centrepiece of the program is Leung’s Chinese Kitchen: A Feast of Flavours – an evocative ten-movement suite, with each piece inspired by a traditional Chinese dish. These works are presented alongside masterpieces by Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninov, featuring celebrated soloists Jian Wang (cello) and rising star Serena Wang (piano), who makes her Australasian debut.
The Program
MELBOURNE, Arts Centre Melbourne, Hamer Hall, 13 March 2026
Elliot Leung: Selections from Chinese Kitchen: A Feast of Flavours
Qigang Chen: Piano Concerto Er Huang (soloist: Serena Wang)
—
Rachmaninov: Symphony No. 2
SYDNEY, Sydney Opera House, 15 March 2026
Elliot Leung: Selections from Chinese Kitchen: A Feast of Flavours
Tchaikovsky: Variations on a Rococo Theme (soloist: Jian Wang)
—
Rachmaninov: Symphony No. 2
AUCKLAND Auckland Arts Festival, 19 March 2026
Elliot Leung: Selections from Chinese Kitchen: A Feast of Flavours
Tchaikovsky: Variations on a Rococo Theme (soloist: Jian Wang)
—
Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1 (soloist: Serena Wang)
AUCKLAND, Auckland Arts Festival, 20 March 2026
Elliot Leung: Selections from Chinese Kitchen: A Feast of Flavours
Qigang Chen: Piano Concerto Er Huang (soloist: Serena Wang)
—
Rachmaninov: Symphony No. 2
SINGAPORE, Esplanade Concert Hall, 23 March 2026
Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1 (soloist: Serena Wang)
—
Rachmaninoff: Symphony No. 2
Elliot Leung: Selections from Chinese Kitchen: A Feast of Flavours
PRICES: From $69 + booking fee
INSIDERS ON-SALE: Tuesday 22 July, 9am AEST
WHAT’S ON PRE-SALE: Wednesday 23 July, 9am AEST
GENERAL PUBLIC ON-SALE: Friday 25 July, 9am AEST