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Press Releases
Â鶹Éç Scottish Symphony Orchestra and Nicola Benedetti tour People's Republic of China
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The Â鶹Éç Scottish Symphony Orchestra and award-winning Scottish violinist Nicola Benedetti today start a tour of the People's Republic of China.
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The 16-day tour is the second visit to China by the Â鶹Éç SSO, and takes place at the invitation of the Chinese Ministry of Culture in partnership with the British Council.
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Starting two months before the opening ceremony of the 2008 Olympic Games, the tour will see the orchestra perform eight concerts in six cities.
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It begins with a flagship performance in Beijing's brand new National Centre for the Performing Arts, the largest performing arts centre in the world. Ìý
The Â鶹Éç SSO will be the first Scottish orchestra, and only the second British orchestra, to perform in this venue.
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Nicola Benedetti, recent winner of the Classical Brit Award for Best Young Artist, will join the orchestra for the duration of the tour.
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One of Scotland's most recognisable international ambassadors, the celebrated young violinist will perform concertos by Mendelssohn, Tchaikovsky and Sibelius, and Vaughan Williams' The Lark Ascending.
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This will be Nicola's first tour with the Â鶹Éç SSO since they accompanied her winning performance at the 2004 Â鶹Éç Young Musician of the Year.
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The orchestra will be conducted by one of the Â鶹Éç SSO's regular guests, the renowned German conductor Christoph König.
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Following the performance in Beijing, which forms part of the International Meet in Beijing festival, the orchestra will travel to Shanghai, Hangzhou, Suzhou, Zhongshan and Shenzhen.
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As well as the concerts, the orchestra and Nicola Benedetti will present a special performance for children in Shenzhen, which will also feature Scottish traditional music performed by players from the Â鶹Éç SSO.
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As part of the Â鶹Éç SSO's international outreach programme, members of the orchestra will work with talented young Chinese musicians in a series of seminars and workshops.
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The music on the tour includes Mendelssohn's musical postcard of Scotland, Fingal's Cave, Beethoven's Symphony No.7, Tchaikovsky's Symphony No.5 and Scottish composer Edward McGuire's The Purple Bamboo. As an encore, the orchestra will perform a selection of Scottish reels.
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The concerts will be recorded for future broadcast on Â鶹ÉçÌýRadio 3 and Â鶹Éç Radio Scotland.
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The Â鶹Éç SSO's performances will also form part of Radio 3's Focus On China from 15 June to 26 June, a season of programmes exploring Chinese music and culture.
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In 2000, the Â鶹Éç SSO was the first Scottish orchestra to visit China and the first Western orchestra to perform in Beijing's Great Hall of the People.
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The Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, said: "I am delighted to hear that the Â鶹Éç Scottish Symphony Orchestra is returning to the People's Republic of China for a second tour.
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"As one of the UK's finest orchestras, I am sure the forthcoming concerts will be a great opportunity to showcase the talents of the Orchestra and the extremely gifted violinist, Nicola Benedetti.
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"I wish the Orchestra well for its visit and I look forward to hearing of its success."
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Ken MacQuarrie, Controller of Â鶹Éç Scotland, said: "As an internationally regarded group of musicians, the Â鶹Éç Scottish Symphony Orchestra holds a unique position within the cultural life of Scotland.
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"This tour represents a rare opportunity to showcase the cream of Â鶹Éç Scotland's cultural output across China."
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Â鶹Éç Scotland Press Office
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