New era for Chinese classical music

Highly acclaimed conductor wins recognition for his global contribution, Wang Xin reports in Shanghai.

Chinese classical maestro and renowned conductor Yu Long received a special present to mark his 60th birthday — a complete collection of his recordings on the world's top classical music label Deutsche Grammophon.

Released on Dec 16, the box collection comprises six albums recording Yu's collaboration with the label over the past 25 years, mapping the conductor's footprints as a towering figure steering China's growing connection to classical music on both domestic and international stages.

"It has been 25 years since the first time I worked with DG. China's classical music scene has been through a 'golden' period of development and witnessed dramatic changes during the 25 years. Chinese music has become so close with the world, and has been presented so frequently with Chinese culture on the global stage. I am very fortunate to have been part of this remarkable historical process," said Yu at a news conference in Shanghai on the same day.

Born in 1964 into a Shanghai musical family, Yu was hailed by The New York Times as "the most powerful figure in China's classical music scene", who has been consistently introducing the world's leading classical music and orchestras to China while familiarizing global audiences with the country's most eminent musicians and composers.

Globally, Yu has conducted many highly acclaimed orchestras across the world, including the New York Philharmonic, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestre de Paris, the Munich Philharmonic, the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the Tokyo Philharmonic and the Singapore Symphony Orchestra.

Currently, Yu serves as the artistic director and principal conductor of the China Philharmonic Orchestra, music director of the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra and the lifetime honorary music director of the Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra, as well as the principal guest conductor of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra. He is also the codirector of Shanghai's Music in the Summer Air festival and chair of the artistic committee of the Beijing Music Festival, an annual autumn event that he founded in 1998 and served as artistic director until 2017. Moreover, he holds the positions of vice-president of the China Musicians Association and chairman of the League of China Orchestras.