Guizhou orchestra gets foreign conductor

[Photo provided to China Daily]

Saccani, who was the conductor for this year's opening concert by the Guiyang orchestra in September, says the enthusiasm from the audience came as a surprise. The tickets were sold out and even extra ones for standing room were sold to meet the demand.

"You don't usually see this enthusiasm in other concert halls, because the average age of the audience is about 60, while in Guiyang the average age is around 35," he explains.

"It's a young orchestra, it's a young audience, and you can feel this youthful energy in the public."

The orchestra has a 44-week performance season that includes both classical and pop concerts to suit audience tastes.

Saccani has encouraged the orchestra to increase the number of Chinese folk music concerts, which are popular in Guizhou as the region is home to many ethnic groups.

"It's like a menu. You have to try to find the right balance to see how you can appease the biggest possible audience."

He's glad that an effort is underway to cultivate interest in classic music among the local residents.

New concert halls are being built in cities near Guiyang, where the orchestra will provide more performances in the future.

Although Guiyang is a relatively small city in China, Saccani says it is still a major metropolis because of its population of more than 4.5 million and "deserves" to have a major symphony orchestra.

"The Guiyang orchestra is a cultural symbol for the city and the province as a whole," Saccani says, adding that the next goal is to stimulate interest about the orchestra internationally.