TSO China Tour success capped off with radio broadcast to Shanghai

After sell-out concerts throughout eastern China in the Jiangsu and Fujian Provinces, the
Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra has wrapped up a hugely successful tour with a gala
performance in Shanghai.

The 14-day tour covered some seven cities and nine performances, with the orchestra
covering a round trip of over 1,600 kilometres on the Chinese mainland.

With the final concert in Shanghai, according to the Acting Tasmanian Symphony
Orchestra CEO John De Paoli, the grueling tour has been worth it, with confirmation that
the final night performance will be recorded and broadcast on Shanghai Classic FM.

The popular local radio station broadcasts to many hundreds of thousands of residents of
Shanghai, which has some 25 million residents, in what will be a first for any Australian
Orchestra.

Mr De Paoli said it’s good news from Shanghai and the significance of the broadcast can
not be understated and comes on top of extensive local media interest throughout the
tour, with orchestra members being at times swamped by enthusiastic locals wanting
selfies taken with them.

“The tour of China has been a resounding success,” Mr De Paoli said.

“We’ve had packed houses at every concert and the good name of the orchestra and that
of Tasmania is being spread, not only through cosmopolitan cities such as Shanghai and
Nanjing, but also cities in Tasmania’s sister province of Fujian.

Director of Artistic Planning, Simon Rogers said the last time the orchestra toured in
China was 1998, so it has been fantastic to get back.

“The Chinese place a lot of emphasis on cultural exchanges and the orchestra has been
able to showcase its skills across of wide range of classical music, with works by
Stravinsky and Prokofiev, to contemporary Australian works by Elena Kats-Chernin and
Julian Yu” Mr Rogers said.

“However, the real delight for many has been hearing a world class orchestra playing
compositions by contemporary Chinese composers such as Tan Dun.

“Tan Dun’s Wolf Totem was commissioned by the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra and
made its Australian premiere during its World Premiere season in 10 Days on the Island,
so it is very fitting that the orchestra now brings it to its homeland,” Mr Rogers said.

Other highlights of the tour have included the orchestra being the first to play in the city
of Putian, future sister city of Launceston, the day after the City of Hobart signed a
friendship agreement with Fuzhou.

In Nanjing, history was created with the first joint performance between the orchestra
and the Jiangsu Performing Arts Group.

Over all attendances are estimated to have exceeded ten thousand people, with many
more seeing the local media coverage throughout the tour.

Mr De Paoli said it is important to understand the value of cultural exchanges in building
on the strong trade, tourism and investment relationship Australia has with China, and
the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra is committed to strengthening Tasmania’s
connection with one of our largest export partners.

“We’ve opened the door with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra’s extraordinary
musical capacity, and I hope that the governments and various Tasmanian businesses can
now come through,” Mr De Paoli said.

The tour is being supported by the Hobart City Council, State Government and Australian
Governments’ Australia-China Council.
Becher Townshend