Founded in 1956 as the Central Philharmonic Society, China National Symphony Orchestra (CNSO) is directly administered by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of China. It is the top Chinese orchestra with remarkable domestic and international presence. As the first Chinese orchestra to have a team of professional composers, CNSO has created more original Chinese scores than any other orchestras in China. Following its reform in 1996, the China National Symphony Orchestra became the first professional orchestra in China to launch a concert season.
As a pioneer, promoter and leader in the development of China's symphonic music and choral career, CNSO unremittingly strives for artistic excellence and makes outstanding contributions to the dissemination and promotion of the world's classical music works. CNSO performed Beethoven Symphony No. 9 and Dvorak Symphony No. 9 From the New World for the first time in China and introduced many timeless works by master composers including Bach, Mozart, Brahms, Johann Strauss, Tchaikovsky and Shostakovich to the Chinese audience.
Furthermore, the orchestra is dedicated to fostering creativity and originality of Chinese music. In 1970, CNSO composed and premiered the piano concerto Yellow River. Furthermore, the orchestra has composed and performed a series of representative Chinese orchestral works, including the symphonic poem Mu Guiying Takes Command. Over the years, it has consistently commissioned distinguished composers to create and premiere a wide range of symphonic and choral pieces, presenting more than one hundred original new compositions to date. In recent years, CNSO has presented widely acclaimed concerts including "Charm of the Chinese Music" "Charm of the Classics" "Opera Concert" and "Talents of CNSO", all of which have garnered widespread praise from audiences both at home and abroad.
CNSO has maintained close collaborations with numerous world-renowned musicians, jointly creating countless unforgettable moments on stage. As a trusted cultural envoy, the orchestra fosters cross-cultural dialogue and advances friendship between China and the rest of the world through music on its extensive global tours. It has performed on many of the world’s most prestigious stages: the Musikverein in Vienna, the Berliner Philharmonie, the Royal Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the Grand Hall of the State Kremlin Palace, Lincoln Center in New York, the Sydney Opera House and Tokyo’s Suntory Hall. In 1974, CNSO visited Japan and gave 20 performances in 18 cities. In 1987, it made a historic tour in the United States, putting on 26 concerts over 42 days in 13 states and 24 cities. In 2002, CNSO was invited to perform in Berlin for the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Germany, and then went to Spain and Portugal for more than ten concerts. In 2013, invited by Columbia Artists Management Inc, CNSO went to the United States for a commercial tour on an unprecedented scale, presenting 30 symphonic concerts in 29 cities of 16 states over 53 days, with an audience of more than 40,000 people, triggering an unparalleled response across the United States.
As a state-level art troupe, CNSO has been undertaking major performances on significant national and diplomatic occasions for 70 years, such as G20 Hangzhou Summit—Most Memorable is Hangzhou, "Sailing for the Future" Gala for the BRICS Leaders' Meeting in Xiamen, performance for the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, "Boao Forum for Asia", "APEC Summit", "Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit" in Qingdao, etc. The outstanding techniques and performances of CNSO's musicians were acclaimed by foreign state leaders and have won the honor for the country, demonstrating the image of a great power.
Over the past 70 years, CNSO has been at the forefront of China's symphonic music, and active in connecting China and the world, building bridges of understanding and mutual appreciation through music. Proud of its heritage and commitment to intercultural dialogue, CNSO is always ready to share the best of Chinese music and culture with global audience.
China National Symphony Orchestra Chorus is affiliated to the China National Symphony Orchestra. Predecessors of the China National Symphony Orchestra, such as musician Li Ling as well as conductors Yan Liangkun and Qiu Li, made significant contributions to the establishment and development of the chorus.
Shortly after its founding, the chorus represented China in the choral competition of the World Festival of Youth and Students and won the gold medal. In 1959, it staged the premiere of Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 (also known as the Choral Symphony) in the Chinese lyrics. Over the past seven decades, the chorus has shaped a uniquely simple, elegant, bold, and refined style, and is able to accurately interpret choral songs from various periods and styles. Its permanent repertoire features numerous Chinese and foreign masterpieces, such as The Yellow River Cantata, the symphonic work Sha Jia Bang, Beethoven's Symphony No.9, Mahler's Symphony No.8, Mozart's Requiem and Carl Orff's Carmina Burana etc.. The chorus has also achieved great success in opera, having participated in many famous Chinese and foreign operas, including Sister Jiang, Poems of Mulan, La Traviata, Carmen, La Bohème, Tosca, Aida, Turandot Der Fliegende Holländer and Cavalleria Rusticana.
Responsible for the performance of important state affairs and diplomatic activities, the chorus has participated in concert series celebrating the founding of the People's Republic of China and the Communist Party of China, galas marking the 70th and 80th anniversaries of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, the cultural gala for the G20 Hangzhou Summit-Most Memorable is Hangzhou, celebrating the 20th Anniversary of Macau's Return to China Cultural Gala, Performance of the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, as well as the joint performance and series of events at the opening ceremony of the "China-DPRK Friendship Year" in Pyongyang, making significant contributions to cultural exchange between China and other countries.
In recent years, the chorus has continuously made exchanges with the international community, visited numbers of countries and regions including Germany, Austria, Italy, Thailand and Australia, and has been widely praised by industry insiders and local people. The chorus was invited to work with the world-famous conductor Antonio Pappano to perform Mahler's Symphony No.8, and performed for three consecutive times at the St.Cecilia Concert Hall in Rome, for which their excellent artistic level received warm praise. In 2024, the chorus collaborated with Riccardo Muti's Italian Opera Academy project during its first visit to China, and successfully performed the opera Cavalleria Rusticana. Their outstanding performance received high praise from Maestro Muti and widespread acclaim. In 2025, the chorus performed Opera Carmen, a co-production of Zurich Opera House and Opéra-Comique de Paris, kicking off the 37th Macao International Music Festival.
In the new era, adhering to the people-centered philosophy and the principle of inheritance and innovation, the chorus keeps innovating artistic expression. It has created a series of original productions such as Songs of a Century, Songs and Poems Along the Way, Melodies in the Heart and Dawn Blossoms Plucked at Dusk. These works combine vocal music, instrumental music and theatrical elements, further expanding the expressive scope of choral art. Full of heartfelt reflections on the times and poetic insights into life, they have struck a deep chord with audiences and gained wide popularity.
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