Shanghai Philharmonic's new season to premiere several Western symphonies

The Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra commenced its 2025/26 season with a concert dedicated to Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 6 at the Shanghai Oriental Art Center on Thursday evening.

Between September and July of 2026, a total of 20 concerts will be held through five distinct series, including the "Maestro and Classic Series" as well as the "Multi-prism of Musical Series."

Several Western symphonic works will be performed in China for the first time, including Francis Poulenc's "Les biches Suite," Valentin Silvestrov's "Two Dialogues and a Postscript," Alexander Scriabin's Symphony No. 3, and Krzysztof Penderecki's "Polonaise," as well as the concerto " Winterreise" for horn.

On September 23, the Shanghai Philharmonic will present composer Ye Xiaogang's symphonic works. Two chamber music concerts, focusing on Impressionist and Debussy music, will take place on September 12 and 20.

Zeng Yun, the principal horn player of the Berlin Philharmonic, will collaborate with the Shanghai Philharmonic to perform Penderecki's "Winterreise."

Pianists from both home and abroad, including Kong Xiangdong, Song Siheng, Wan Jieni, Chen Sa, Lise de la Salle, and Marc-André Hamelin, will perform concertos by renowned composers such as Tchaikovsky, Mozart, Brahms, and Rachmaninoff.

Japan's Mayuko Kamio will debut with the orchestra in March, showcasing Alexander Glazunov's Violin Concerto.

On December 14, Finnish conductor Okko Kamu, recognized as the "foremost interpreter of Sibelius," will lead the orchestra in a performance that features three significant works by Sibelius: Finlandia, the Violin Concerto, and Symphony No. 2.

Chinese conductor Chen Xieyang will collaborate again with the Shanghai Philharmonic in 2026 with a June 13 concert featuring Gara Garayev's ballet suite "The Seven Beauties," which is rarely performed in China, as well as Rachmaninoff's Symphony No. 2.

The season's closing concert in July next year will be a Brahms-themed performance featuring pianist Marc-André Hamelin.

Meanwhile, the Shanghai Philharmonic has reduced ticket prices for some concerts to as low as 50 yuan (US$7) in the new season. Those interested can follow the orchestra's official WeChat account "SPO2006" for more information.