Chinese New Year to be Celebrated in New York with Symphony Concert

The 2026 Chinese New Year will be celebrated in New York with a symphony concert on February 25 featuring renowned Chinese artists like conductor Yu Long and baritone Liao Changyong.

To be presented by the New York Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Yu, the concert at the Wu Tsai Theater's David Geffen Hall will open with two orchestral works – Li Huanzhi's "Spring Festival Overture" and the US premiere of selections from Elliot Leung's "Chinese Kitchen."

Following this, two acclaimed vocal soloists will join the orchestra in juxtaposed Eastern and Western selections: Chinese baritone Liao will sing Lu Zaiyi's "Prelude to the Water Melody" and an aria from Rossini's "The Barber of Seville."

Soprano Kathleen Kim will perform "New Arirang," Phil Young's orchestration of the traditional Korean folk song, and a second aria from "The Barber of Seville." Liao and Kim will then share the stage in a duet from Lehar's "The Merry Widow."

To conclude the concert, Mongolian morin khuur player Hasibagen will perform "Rhapsody for Morin Khuur and Orchestra: Longing," arranged by Zou Ye.

As the artistic director of the China Philharmonic Orchestra and music director of the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, conductor Yu led the NY Phil's first Chinese New Year Gala concert back in 2012.

Tickets to this 2026 concert may be purchased online at nyphil.org or at the venue itself.