China National Traditional Orchestra
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2019}}
{{Infobox orchestra
| name = China National Traditional Orchestra
| short_name = China National Orchestra
| former_name = China Central Nationalities Orchestra, among many others
| type = Orchestra
| native_name = 中国中央民族乐团
| native_name_lang = zho
| image = China_National_(Traditional)_Orchestra_logo_copy.png
| caption = Official Logo
| founded =
| concert_hall = National Centre for the Performing Arts – Concert Hall, Beijing
| principal_conductor = Liu Sha
| music_director = Jiang Ying
| website =
}}
The China National Traditional Orchestra (CNTO) ({{zh|s=中国 中央 民族 乐团 or 中央 民族 乐团}}; also called China National Orchestra) is a 110-piece orchestra of traditional Chinese musical instruments with an accompanying folk choir. Founded in Beijing, China in 1960, the orchestra is a state-level (national) performing arts institution directly administered and endorsed by China's Ministry of Culture (MOC). Its mission is to promote and advance China's musical heritage. {{abbr|CNTO|Chinese National Traditional Orchestra}} is part of a cultural exchange program called Image China and the orchestra is managed by the China Arts and Entertainment Group (CAEG).
History
The China National Traditional Orchestra was founded by composer and conductor Li Huanzhi (1919–2000), the former chair of the Chinese Musicians' Association. {{abbr|CNTO|Chinese National Traditional Orchestra}}'s current president and producer is musician and ethnomusicologist Xi Qiang, who is a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. In 1993, the China National Traditional Orchestra founded Orchestra Asia, together with Ensemble Nipponia of Japan and the South Korean National Orchestra.
In the interest of promoting a larger view of Chinese culture, {{abbr|CNTO|Chinese National Traditional Orchestra}} became the first Chinese orchestra known for combining music performance with other Chinese art forms, such as painting. Its 2015 concert tour Rediscover Chinese Music, was promoted as "a breathtaking multimedia experience" with storytelling, lighting and sound special effects, multimedia backdrops, and moving scenery.
=Alternate names=
The China National Traditional Orchestra has been known by several English names over the years, largely due to challenges with Chinese translation. The orchestra's Chinese name is pronounced in Chinese as Zhōngguó Zhōngyāng Mínzú Yuètuán,{{efn|The orchestra name is shown in Pinyin, a system for writing Chinese characters with the Latin alphabet to assist with Chinese pronunciation.}} where Zhōngguó means "China," zhōngyāng means "central," and mínzú yuètuán means "ethnic nationalities" orchestra.
In English-speaking countries, the {{abbr|CNTO|Chinese National Traditional Orchestra}} has been misidentified as other similarly named Chinese orchestras. The orchestra has also been referred to by different names within the same news article and in the orchestra's own promotional materials.
English variants of the orchestra's name include:
| border="0" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="3" |
| Central Chinese Orchestra |
| China Central Chinese Orchestra
| China Central Folk Orchestra{{cn|date=October 2020}} |
| China Central National Music Orchestra
| China Central National Orchestra | China Chinese Central National Orchestra |
| China Chinese National Orchestra
| China Central Nationalities Orchestra | |
| National Chinese Traditional Orchestra |
Perhaps owing to its favored relationship with China's Ministry of Culture, orchestra leadership might have continually revised the ensemble's English name to reflect its current importance or social status, differentiate it from countless other Chinese orchestras, and emphasize the {{abbr|CNTO|Chinese National Traditional Orchestra}}'s stated mission of "sharing China's musical heritage with the world." In 2015, the orchestra has been consistently billed and promoted as the China National Traditional Orchestra at the Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall, and Lincoln Center, as evidenced by venue calendars and ticket sales webpages.
Notable orchestra members
- Xi Qiang, producer and president of the orchestra
=Musicians=
- Wang Chaoge, director
- Jiang Ying, composer and arranger
- Liu Sha, conductor
- Tang Feng, Erhu
- Jin Yue,{{cn|date=July 2024}} Erhu
- Wang Ciheng, Dizi and Xiao
- Wu Yuxia, Pipa and deputy president of the orchestra
- Zhao Cong, Pipa
- Yu Yuanchun, Pipa
- Wei Yuru, Ruan
- Feng Maintain, Ruan
- Niu Jiandang, Suona
- Zhu Jianping, percussion
- Yu Xin, percussion
- Chen Shasha and Ding Xiaokui, Dizi
- Zhang Jiali, Guan
- Lu Ning, Guqin
= Creative team =
- Li Bin, stage design
- Wang Yugang, lighting design
- Gan Hua, multimedia design
- Zheng Zejian, multimedia design
- Zuo Huanyu, costume design
- Shen Tian, sound design
Performances
= Highlights =
- In 1984, American classical composer Shen Sinyan, a member of the Chinese Music Society of North America, invited the orchestra to tour the United States. The orchestra became "the first Chinese orchestra of Chinese instruments" to do so.
- In 1996, the Carnegie Hall Corporation commissioned Chinese-American composer Bright Sheng to create Spring Dreams, a concerto for Yo-Yo Ma and the orchestra.
- In 1997, Spring Dreams was performed by the orchestra and the famed cellist.
- In 1998, the orchestra performed for the first time at a special New Year concert in the Vienna Golden Hall (a.k.a. Wiener Musikverein).{{cn|date=October 2020}}
- In 2004, the orchestra cancelled its appearance at a concert that contained Christian content.
- In 2011, the orchestra became the first traditional Chinese music group to perform at Austria's Salzburg Summer Festival.
- In 2014, American pop music artist Katy Perry visited the orchestra to hear an arrangement of her song "Roar" played on traditional Chinese instruments.
- In December 2015, members from the orchestra performed for and with students of Washington Yu Ying Public Charter School in a school assembly; the first time the orchestra had performed for local primary school students. The school's chorus – 40 singers, ages 9 to 11 – also performed a song with the orchestra during its Kennedy Center concert dates.
| class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%;"
! colspan=7 style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Performance chronology{{efn|The Performance chronology table is not a complete history of performances. This is only the information we have discovered to date.}} | ||||||
| align="center"
! style="background: #CCCCCC;" | Year ! style="background: #CCCCCC;" | Dates ! style="background: #CCCCCC;" | Location ! style="background: #CCCCCC;" | Venue ! style="background: #CCCCCC;" | Event and/or Concert ! style="background: #CCCCCC;" | Notes ! style="background: #CCCCCC;" | Source | ||||||
| rowspan=1 | 1984 | 11 August | Washington, DC | National Museum of Natural History | Concert presented by the Smithsonian Resident Associate Program. | * The Washington Post | |
| rowspan=1 | 1989 | September | Beijing, China | Beijing Concert Hall | In collaboration with the Han-Tang Yuefu Ensemble. | Taiwan Today | |
| rowspan=2 | 1997 | 19 February | Worcester, MA | Mechanics Hall | premier of Spring Dreams | Performance of concerto commissioned for Yo-Yo Ma and the orchestra. | * Worcester Magazine
|
| 20 February | New York, NY | Carnegie Hall | premier of Spring Dreams | Performance of concerto commissioned for Yo-Yo Ma and the orchestra. | * New York Times
| |
| rowspan=1| 1998 | 27 January | Vienna, Austria | Vienna Golden Hall (Wiener Musikverein) | Chinese Lunar New Year Concert / Grand Chinese New Year Concert | Chen Xieyang, conductor | * South China Morning Post
|
| rowspan=6| 2000 | 24 August | New York, NY | United Nations (UN) General Assembly Hall | China Cultural Exchange 2000 | * BeijingTheatre.com
| |
| 26–27 August | Washington, DC | Eisenhower Theater, Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts | Washington City Paper | |||
| 31 August | Chicago, IL | Orchestra Hall, Symphony Center | China National Orchestra Gala Concert | * Chicago Reader
| ||
| 3 September | St. Louis, MO | Powell Symphony Hall | Faces of Love Towards the East | St. Louis Mayor Clarence Harmon proclaimed 3 September 2000 as China National Orchestra Day. | St. Louis Chinese American News | |
| 10 September | San Francisco, CA | Davies Symphony Hall | San Francisco debut. Sold-out performance. Standing ovation. At the end of program, the orchestra played three encores. | * AsianWeek
| ||
| 17 September | New York, NY | Lincoln Center | The Bronze Culture Festival | Yo-Yo Ma performs. | The Wall Street Journal | |
| rowspan=3| 2010 | 29 January | Brussels, Belgium | BOZAR Centre for Fine Arts | Europalia China Art Festival | Concert organized by Europalia International and the Chinese Ministry of Culture. | * BOZAR Centre for Fine Arts Calendar
|
| 30 January | Paris, France | UNESCO Headquarters or Maison de l'UNESCO | Chinese New Year Concert | By invitation, limited seating capacity. Chen Xieyang, conductor | UNESCO | |
| 1 November | Beijing, China | Concert Hall of the NCPA (National Center for the Performing Arts) | Month-long series of stage performances to celebrate the country's cultural achievements | Chen Xieyang, conductor | China Central Television | |
| rowspan=2| 2011 | 5 August | Salzburg, Austria | 91st Salzburg Festival / Salzburg Summer Festival | Marks the first time a traditional Chinese music group played at this event.
| * China Central Television
| |
| 7 December | Beijing, China | Concert Hall of the NCPA (National Center for the Performing Arts) | Part of concert series: One Hundred Concerts of Chinese Music | BeijingTheatre.com | ||
| rowspan=1| 2012 | 14 June | Beijing, China | Concert Hall of the NCPA (National Center for the Performing Arts) | Bamboo in Blues | BeijingTheatre.com | |
| rowspan=6| 2013 | 4 February | Los Angeles, CA | Spring Festival Celebration | {{cn|date=October 2020}} | ||
| 8–10 February | Stanford, CA | Bing Concert Hall, Stanford University | Pan-Asian Music Festival; Friday Night's Concert: Masters and Masterpieces | Three-day residency at the university culminated in live performance, with several standing ovations and four encores... | * Stanford Report
| |
| 17 February | Raleigh, NC | Meymandi Concert Hall, Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts | China on String | Stars of the National Chinese Traditional Orchestra in a program with the Raleigh Symphony Orchestra. Program sponsored by Confucius Institute at NC State University and the Carolina China Council. | * CVNC: An Online Arts Journal | |
| 26 August | Beijing, China | Concert Hall of the NCPA (National Center for the Performing Arts) | Impression of Chinese Music | Wang Chaoge, director | CITS | |
| 2 October | Sanford, NC | Dennis A. Wicker Civic Center, Central Carolina Community College | Chinese Music Exhibition & Seminar | Xi Qiang, artistic director | * US Fed News Service
| |
| 22 November | St. Petersburg, Russia | Mariinsky Theater, Theatre Square | Chinese Tourism Year in Russia | China Central Television | ||
| rowspan=2| 2014 | 13 January | Beijing, China | Roar | Katy Perry visited. | * Getmusic Asia
| |
| 14 February | San Francisco, CA | Chinese New Year Concert | Consulate General of the People's Republic of China in San Francisco | |||
| rowspan=7| 2015 | 15 February | Chicago, IL | Symphony Center | Sounds of China: A Chinese New Year Celebration | Presented in collaboration with the Chinese Fine Arts Society (CFAS)
| * Chicago Tribune
|
| 15 April | Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada | Chan Centre for the Performing Arts, University of British Columbia | China-Canada Year Opening Ceremony | China Daily US | ||
| 7 May | Atlanta, GA | The World of Coca-Cola | Free concert to launch the Qin-Tai – Chinese Music Program | Brought to Atlanta by the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and the State Council Information Office of the People's Republic of China. | GCIV Exchange Newsletter | |
| 27 November | Shanghai, China | Shanghai Grand Theater | Rediscover Chinese Music | An experimental program.
| Shanghai Daily | |
| 11–13 December | Washington, DC | Kennedy Center Opera House | Rediscover Chinese Music | The Washington Yu Ying Public Charter School Chorus performed with the orchestra.
| * Kennedy Center
| |
| 18 December | New York, NY | Lincoln Center | China National Traditional Orchestra: Splendor of Folk Music | * Tang Feng, Erhu (Chinese Fiddle)
| * Lincoln Center
| |
| 20 December | New York, NY | Carnegie Hall | Impression Guoyue: Traditional Master Works | Orchestra was invited by the Princeton International Chinese Music Festival.
| * Lucid Culture (NY blog)
| |
| rowspan=7| 2019 | 25 January | Washington, DC | Opera House at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts | Image China: Xuanzang's Pilgrimagen | * Broadway World |
Criticism
The China National Traditional Orchestra has faced its share of criticism in the past – both at home and abroad – in that it did not actually promote actual traditional Chinese music in the beginning, but rather, it used the Western-style orchestra model that was prevalent in much of the orchestra world. Historically, traditional Chinese music was performed with soloists or in small ensembles rather than in large concert halls. What's more, to be more accessible to Western audiences when playing internationally, the orchestra's concert repertoire has in the past included works by Bach and Strauss, and contemporary songs like "New York, New York", and non-Chinese patriotic hymns like "America the Beautiful". In recent years, the orchestra has focused on the commission and arrangement of more traditional pieces representative of its heritage.
Not to be outdone by Western or popular music trends, the orchestra also collaborates with well-known directors like Wang Chaoge to help inject energy into traditional music performances by "creating innovative shows." The orchestra's performances outside of China appear to be well received, as inferred by sold-out concerts, standing ovations, multiple encores, and media coverage. For example, at the December 2015 Kennedy Center premiere of Rediscover Chinese Music, an audience member was recorded on camera saying "[the show] was moving. It was beautiful." One could assume that the orchestra's efforts to fuse modern stage production values with ethnic melodies has been a successful tactic in attracting new, enthusiastic audiences.
Notes
{{notelist}}
References
{{Reflist|refs=
|author=Margaret Campbell
|title=The Great Cellists
|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LvRW1syRWToC
|date=19 May 2011
|publisher=Faber & Faber
|location= London
|isbn=978-0-571-27801-5
|quote=In 1997, (Chinese cellist Hai-Ye Ni) stepped in at the last moment for Yo-Yo Ma in a 14-city tour of the USA with the China Central National Music Orchestra.}}
|author=Xi Qiang
|translator=Qiu Maoru
| title = Chinese Music and Musical Instruments
| publisher = Better Link Press
| place = New York, NY
| isbn = 978-1-60220-105-7
| year = 2011
}}
| last1= Sheng
| first1=Bright
| title=Spring Dreams for Violoncello and Orchestra of Traditional Chinese Instruments
| year=1997
| website = ISSUU ScoresOnDemand
| url=http://issuu.com/scoresondemand/docs/spring_dreams_vc_32937/7?e=8906278/4714846
| publisher=G Schirmer Inc
| place=New York
| quote=This work was commissioned for Yo-Yo Ma and The National Traditional Orchestra of China by The Carnegie Hall Corporation. The premiere performance was given at Mechanics Hall, Worcester, MA, on 19 February 1997 and its New York premiere was given at Carnegie Hall New York City on 20 February 1997.
}}
| date = 8 June 2010
| author=
| title=From Perlman to Yo-Yo Ma
| website = Worcester Magazine
| url=http://worcestermag.com/2010/06/08/from-perlman-to-yo-yo-ma/5987
| place=Worcester, MA
| quote=There was something almost spiritual about the sound of those native instruments, says Hovenesian in regards to Yo-Yo Ma, who performed in 1997 with the National Orchestra of China.
}}
| date = 16 February 1997
| title=Classical Music: At Home in Two Worlds.
| last1 = Cameron
| first1 = Lindsley
| work=The New York Times
| url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/02/16/arts/at-home-in-two-worlds.html
| quote= (Bright Sheng) returned to his homeland for the first time last summer because he was commissioned to write a concerto for the cellist Yo-Yo Ma and the Beijing-based National Traditional Orchestra of China, who will perform the work, Spring Dreams, on Thursday evening at Carnegie Hall.
}}
|url=http://english.cntv.cn/program/cultureexpress/20131125/101741.shtml
|last1=Limin
|first1=Zheng
|title=Chinese Tourism Year in Russia ends
|website=China Central Television
|date=25 November 2013
|access-date=13 November 2015
|quote=The closing ceremony of the Tourism Year kicked off at Maryinsky Theater on Friday night with the China National Orchestra, which featured classic pieces of Chinese traditional music.
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151117020418/http://english.cntv.cn/program/cultureexpress/20131125/101741.shtml
|archive-date=17 November 2015
}}
{{cite web |url=http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/9703175895/eastern-exposure
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151117024616/http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/9703175895/eastern-exposure
|archive-date=17 November 2015
| title = Eastern exposure
| last1 = Davis
| first1 = Peter G.
| website = New York (Magazine)
| publisher = New York Media
| date= 10 March 1997
}}
{{cite web | url=http://on.wsj.com/1B2rGoU
| title = Chinese Traditional Orchestra: Westernizing the Erhu
| last1 = Melvin
| first1 = Sheila
| website=The Wall Street Journal
| date= 31 August 2000
|access-date=14 November 2015
}}
|last1= Shen | first1= Ted |date=24 August 2000 |website=Chicago Reader | access-date=14 November 2015 |quote=The CNO also promises encores, including a rendition of America the Beautiful.}}
{{cite web | url=http://www.lincolncenter.org/show/china-national-traditional-orchestra
| title=China National Traditional Orchestra: Splendor of Folk Music
| publisher=Lincoln Center
| location=New York, NY
| date=18 December 2015
|access-date=14 November 2015
| quote=Their extensive repertoire of new and traditional works is a result of hundreds of commissioned works and arrangements made just for them.}}
| url = http://www.chinesechamber.com/lantern/2013-1-lantern.pdf
| title = China National Orchestra
| date = January 2013
| website = The Chinese Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii
| access-date = 22 November 2015
| quote = The Orchestra was founded in 1956 as the Central Philharmonic Orchestra of China, then in 1996, it was restructured and renamed the China National Symphony Orchestra.
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151123103824/http://www.chinesechamber.com/lantern/2013-1-lantern.pdf
| archive-date = 23 November 2015
}}
| url = http://www.dcoutlook.com/2015/11/washington-yu-ying-school-chorus-to.html
| title = Washington Yu Ying School Chorus to Perform with China National Traditional Orchestra
| last = Freeman
| first = Peter
| date = 20 November 2015
| website = DC Outlook
| access-date = 23 November 2015
| quote = The Washington Yu Ying Chorus, which includes 40 auditioned singers from Grades 3–5, will perform Train Toccota and Wild Goose, two pieces that are part of the traditional Chinese repertoire.}}
| url = http://www.bozar.be/en/activities/2221-china-national-traditional-orchestra
| title = Music: China National Traditional Orchestra
| date = 29 January 2010
| website = BOZAR Center for Fine Arts
| access-date = 23 November 2015
| quote = Its repertoire provides a good overview of Chinese traditional music, while taking in influences from contemporary Chinese music, western classical music, and other forms of music from around the world.}}
| url = http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n95013398.html
| title = Zhong yang min zu yue tuan (Beijing, China)
| website = Library of Congress Name Authority File
| publisher = Library of Congress
| access-date = 23 November 2015
}}
| url = http://viaf.org/viaf/149083047/#skos:Concept
| website = Virtual International Authority File
| title = Zhong yang min zu yue tuan (Beijing, China)
| publisher = OCLC
| access-date = 23 November 2015
}}
| url = http://www.fmprc.gov.cn/ce/cgsf/eng/wenhua/whtyht/t1013577.htm
| title =China National Orchestra Gave Chinese New Year Concert in San Francisco Bay Area
| date = 14 February 2014
| website = Consulate General of the People's Republic of China in San Francisco
| access-date = 23 November 2015
| quote = The China National Orchestra...performed concertos and orchestral works on traditional instruments to celebrate the Year of the Snake.}}
| url = http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/articles/20242/national-traditional-orchestra-of-china
| title = Arts & Entertainment: Picks: National Traditional Orchestra of China
| last = Jenkins
| first = Mark
| date = 25 August 2000
| website = Washington City Paper
| publisher = CL Washington, Inc.
| access-date = 23 November 2015
| quote = …after Mao's Revolution…Soviet advisers helped the Chinese arrange their traditional instruments into sections to form orchestras that achieved numerical parity with their Western counterparts.}}
| url = http://www.china.org.cn/arts/2010-01/31/content_19337649.htm
| title = Soul of China can be found in its traditional music
| date = 31 January 2010
| website = China.org.cn
| publisher = China International Publishing Group
| access-date = 23 November 2015
| quote = A two-hour concert by the China National Traditional Orchestra attracted some 500 people to the Center for Fine Arts.}}
| author =
| title= Holiday Arts & Entertainment (section)
| magazine=The Washington Post Magazine
| pages =12–13
| location=Washington, DC
| publication-date=22 November 2015
| quote = The United States premiere of a new China National Traditional Orchestra production comes to town…}}
| url = http://www.unesco.org/new/en/unesco/events/programme-meetings/?tx_browser_pi1%5BshowUid%5D=922&cHash=1239355805
| title = Chinese New Year Concert: Paris, France
| date = 30 January 2010
| website = UNESCO » Events » Programme meetings
| publisher = UNESCO
| access-date = 23 November 2015
| quote = To mark the Chinese New Year, the China National Orchestra, comprising 80 musicians and conducted by Mr Chen Xieyang, offers a concert in which the audience will discover or rediscover Western and Chinese musical masterpieces.}}
| url = http://www.xmuaasv.org/events/PAMF2013_postcard_draft4.pdf
| title = Stanford Pan-Asian Music Festival 2013 (program)
| date = 8 February 2013
| website = Xiamen University Alumni Association of Silicon Valley
| access-date = 23 November 2015
| quote = China National Orchestra: Masters and Masterpieces; Open Rehearsal
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151124153006/http://www.xmuaasv.org/events/PAMF2013_postcard_draft4.pdf
| archive-date = 24 November 2015
}}
| last = Haro
| first = Delane
| date = 11 January 2013
| title = Stanford Pan-Asian Music Festival Showcases China National Orchestra February 8–10, 2013
| url = http://panasianmusicfestival.stanford.edu/2013/pdfs/english.pdf
| location = Stanford, CA
| access-date = 23 November 2015
| quote = The 2013 Stanford Pan-Asian Music Festival will showcase the China National Orchestra (CNO)
}}
| url = http://www.gciv.org/email/newsletter/may2015/index.html#other
| title = China National Orchestra Concert at the World of Coca-Cola
| date = May 2015
| website = GCIV Exchange Newsletter (Georgia Council for International Visitors)
| location = Atlanta, GA
| access-date = 23 November 2015
}}
| url = http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/photo/2011-08/06/c_131032475.htm
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151125222125/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/photo/2011-08/06/c_131032475.htm
| archive-date = 25 November 2015
| title = China National Orchestra perform at Salzburg Festival
| last1 = Yu
| first1 = Yang
| last2 = Zhang
| first2 = Xiang
| date = 6 August 2011
| website = Xinhua News Agency
| access-date = 24 November 2015
| quote = Culture & Edu: Lutanist Wu Yuxia from China National Orchestra performs at a concert held in Salzburg, Austria, 5 August 2011, as part of the Salzburg Festival.}}
| url = http://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/1145559/why-were-loving-wang-chaoge-director
| title = Why we're loving…Wang Chaoge, director
| date = 16 August 2012
| website = Campaign Live (UK Edition)
| publisher = Haymarket Media Group Ltd.
| access-date = 26 November 2015
| quote = Wang Chaoge was the co-director of the opening ceremony at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.}}
| url = http://www.lifestylecn.com/impressions-wang-chaoge/
| title = Impressions: Wang Chaoge
| date = 17 July 2013
| website = LifeStyle Magazine
| publisher = Beijing Lifestyle Advertising Co., Ltd.
| access-date = 26 November 2015
| quote = Co-founder and CEO of Beijing Impression Wonders Arts Development Co. Ltd, Wang Chaoge's dynamic style and groundbreaking creative approach have made her one of the top directors in China. In an exclusive interview, she gives us insight into the inspiration and art behind her most extensive works, the Impressions and Encore series.
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151208020538/http://www.lifestylecn.com/impressions-wang-chaoge/
| archive-date = 8 December 2015
}}
| url = http://www.shanghaidaily.com/feature/events-and-tv/Chinese-music-in-experimental-show/shdaily.shtml
| title = Chinese music in experimental show
| last = Qian
| first = Zhang
| date = 26 November 2015
| newspaper = Shanghai Daily
| location = Shanghai, China
| access-date = 26 November 2015
| quote = Rediscover Chinese Music, an experimental program from the China National Traditional Orchestra will be staged at Shanghai Grand Theater until Friday.}}
| url = https://www.sco.com.sg/media/young-chinese-conductor-liu-sha-returns-to-conduct-sco/
| title = Young Chinese conductor Liu Sha returns to conduct SCO
| date = 29 January 2013
| website = Singapore Chinese Orchestra Company Limited
| access-date = 26 November 2015
| quote = After his debut with the Singapore Chinese Orchestra (SCO) in 2008, young Chinese conductor, Liu Sha, returns to conduct the SCO at a one-night only concert on 9 March... Liu Sha is the Conductor-in-Residence of China National Orchestra}}
| title = China National Traditional Orchestra to Play Two New York City Concerts This December
| url = http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/China-National-Traditional-Orchestra-to-Play-Two-New-York-City-Concerts-This-December-20151201
| website = Broadway World
| publisher = Wisdom Digital Media
| date = 1 December 2015
| access-date = 1 December 2015
}}
| url = http://wtop.com/sponsored-content/2015/12/rediscover-chinese-music-with-china-national-traditional-orchestra/
| title = Rediscover Chinese music with China National Traditional Orchestra
| website = WTOP
| date = 1 December 2015
| access-date = 1 December 2015
| quote= The China National Traditional Orchestra (formerly known as the China National Orchestra) was founded in 1960 by famous Chinese composer and conductor Li Huanzhi, a prominent member of the Chinese Music Association.}}
|date= 2003
|title= Women of China
|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=taCyAAAAIAAJ
|location= Peking
|publisher= Foreign Languages Press (FLP)
|page= 52
|quote=Different art forms are interlinked with traditional Chinese aesthetics. The grand national symphony concert – Gallery of Chinese Symphonic Music, performed by the Chinese National Orchestra – is no exception. It blends China's symphonic music with traditional Chinese painting. The outcome is unique. The result: the first symphony in China that incorporates sight, sound, time and space.
}}
|editor-last= Pillsbury
|editor-first= Adam
|last= Abrahamsen
|first= Eric
|date= 28 September 2005
|title= Insider's Guide to Beijing 2005–2006
|chapter= Art & Culture
|trans-chapter=Musical Sources
|edition=2
|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=Uu3EF-2bmXsC
|location= Beijing, China
|publisher= True Run Media
|page= 241
|isbn= 978-0-9773334-0-0
|access-date= 2 December 2015
|quote=Founded in 1960 by famous composer Li Huanzhi, the CNO is known for its incorporation of traditional Chinese instruments into the orchestra…
}}
|last1= Melvin
|first1= Sheila
|last2 = Cai
|first2= Jindong
|date= 2004
|title= Rhapsody in Red: How Western Classical Music Became Chinese
|chapter= The New Era
|trans-chapter= Music and Nationalism
|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=PxzNLwDPP0EC
|location= New York
|publisher= Algora Publishing
|page= 331
|isbn= 978-0-87586-179-1
|access-date= 14 November 2015
|quote=The Chinese government has put more effort into promoting traditional instrument orchestras, including the China National Traditional Orchestra's 2000 US tour under the baton of Shanghai Symphony conductor Chen Xieyang. But even as the government tries to raise the profile of China's own music through such tours, a movement has grown up in traditional music circles that is critical of the artificial nature of the big orchestras and urges a return to a more authentic performance style and repertoire.
}}
| last = Rule
| first = Doug
| date = 3 December 2015
| title = Rhapsody in Chinese: Rediscover Chinese Music at the Kennedy Center
| url = http://www.metroweekly.com/2015/12/rhapsody-in-chinese/
| newspaper = Metro Weekly
| location = Washington, DC
| access-date = 3 December 2015
| quote = From the Olympics to orchestras, Wang Chaoge is known for directing musical spectacles
}}
| url = http://www.cccc.edu/news/story.php?story=8988
| title = CCCC Confucius Classroom to host China National Orchestra Exhibition
| date = 30 September 2013
| website = Central Carolina Community College
| access-date = 3 December 2015
| quote = College News > Special Events: On Wednesday, 2 October the Confucius Classroom at Central Carolina Community College will host an ensemble of the China National Orchestra, China's leading traditional folk music performance group.
}}
| url = http://heyevent.com/event/hac5abh23x5nwa/china-national-traditional-orchestra-rediscover-chinese-music
| title = China National Traditional Orchestra: Rediscover Chinese Music
| date = December 2015
| website = HeyEvent.com
| access-date = 3 December 2015
| quote= The event showcases…musicians from China dressed in traditional costumes, include specially designed lighting and sound, backdrops and scenery.
}}
| url = http://cso.org/uploadedFiles/8_About/Press_Room/Press_Releases/2014-15/SCP_Sounds%20of%20China_February%202015_Announcement.pdf
| title = Symphony Center Presents Announces Addition of A Special Concert – Sounds of China: A Chinese New Year Celebration
| date = 21 November 2014
| website = Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association
| access-date = 5 December 2015
| quote= The program features virtuoso soloists from the National Chinese Traditional Orchestra and musicians of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and takes place Sunday, 15 February 2015 at 3 p.m. at Symphony Center.
}}
| url = http://chicagochinatown.org/january-2015-newsletter/
| title = Sounds of China – 15 February 2015
| date = January 2015
| website = Chicago Chinatown Chamber of Commerce
| access-date = 5 December 2015
}}
| url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/goingoutguide/music/chinese-orchestra-aims-to-stay-relevant-but-not-stray-from-tradition/2015/12/09/adb71c3e-9a8c-11e5-94f0-9eeaff906ef3_story.html
| location = Washington, DC
| title = Going Out Guide: Music: Chinese orchestra seeks young fans for classical music
| last = McEwen
| first = Lauren
| date = 9 December 2015
| newspaper=The Washington Post
| access-date = 9 December 2015
}}
| url = http://www.acsanjose.us/congzhao.html
| title = The introduction of Zhao Cong
| date = 2013
| website = Arts Council San Jose
| access-date = 9 December 2015
| quote = Zhao Cong is a leading Pipa soloist of China National Traditional Orchestra.
}}
| url = http://www.scanews.com/spot/2000/september/chinaorchestra/
| location = St. Louis, Missouri
| title = The China National Traditional Orchestra U.S. Tour 2000
| date = August 2000
| website = St. Louis Chinese American News
| access-date = 9 December 2015
| quote = Gitana Productions, Inc. Presents Faces of Love Towards the East. The China National Orchestra. A St. Louis Premiere Performance. Powell Symphony Hall. 3 September 2000.
}}
| location = Washington, DC
| url = https://www.facebook.com/wjlatv/videos/vb.60987623733/10153809849978734/?type=2&theater
| publisher = Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc.
| title = Rediscover Chinese Music concert
| interviewer = Kidd O'Shea
| work = News Channel 8
| subject-link = China National Traditional Orchestra
| date = 8 December 2015
| access-date = 9 December 2015
| quote = It's absolutely a show for all ages", said Ann Stahmer, Local Event Coordinator and Producer, Image China: Rediscover Chinese Music.
|via=Facebook
}}{{dead link|date=December 2023}}
| last = Yue
| first = Zhang
| title = DC students get musical treat
| url = http://usa.chinadaily.com.cn/epaper/2015-12/11/content_22690255.htm
| newspaper = China Daily USA
| location = Washington, DC
| date = 11 December 2015
| access-date = 12 December 2015
| quote = Musicians from the China National Traditional Orchestra dropped in on Yu Ying Public Charter School in Washington, DC on Thursday morning and played for the students.
}}
| author =
| date = 12 December 2015
| title = Grand Chinese folk music production makes US premiere
| url = http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2015-12/12/c_134910167.htm
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151223154943/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2015-12/12/c_134910167.htm
| archive-date = 23 December 2015
| newspaper = English.news.cn
| publisher = Xinhua News Service
| access-date = 12 December 2015
| quote = The ten-program performance, a creative production from the world-renowned China National Traditional Orchestra, combines the expansive sounds of a 110-piece orchestra with story-telling, technical innovation and stunning multimedia backdrops.
}}
| people = Wu Yixia (pipa), Wang Chaoge (director), Oushea Rollins (parent), Deanna Douglas (audience member)
| date = 12 December 2015
| title = Rediscover Chinese Music kicks off U.S. tour
| language = English
| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGec5MwuQ7k
| access-date = 12 December 2015
| format = video
| location = Washington, DC
| website= New China TV on YouTube
| quote = Wu Yixia, a renowned Chinese lutanist and deputy president of the orchestra, said, "We hope to bring Chinese national music to more people around the world.
}}
| url = http://www.corbisimages.com/stock-photo/rights-managed/42-80639862/uswashington-dcchina-national-orchestrashow
| title = U.S.-Washington D.C.-China National Orchestra Show
| last = Bowen
| first = Li
| date = 11 December 2015
| website = Corbis Blog: Corbis Wire
| publisher = Li Bowen/Xinhua Press/Corbis
| access-date = 12 December 2015
| quote = Students sing along with the performance of China National Orchestra at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., capital of the United States, 11 December 2015.
}}
| url = http://dcmetrotheaterarts.com/2015/12/12/rediscover-chinese-music-at-the-kennedy-center/
| title = China National Traditional Orchestra's Rediscover Chinese Music at The Kennedy Center
| last = Brickman
| first = Ravelle
| date = 12 December 2015
| website = DC Metro Theater Arts
| access-date = 13 December 2015
| quote=China-watchers, take note. Music-lovers, stagecraft fanatics and historians aren't the only ones who will enjoy, and learn something from this production.
}}
| last = Shengdun
| first = Hua
| title = Traditional Chinese music brightens DC
| url = http://usa.chinadaily.com.cn/epaper/2015-12/11/content_22690255.htm
| newspaper = China Daily USA
| location = Washington, DC
| date = 14 December 2015
| access-date = 17 December 2015
| quote = The audience that went to hear traditional Chinese music at the Kennedy Center on 12 December got a lot more than a sample of music spanning 2,000 years. The show was also a feast for the eyes, with novel lighting, striking multimedia sets and musicians delivering heartfelt monologues.
}}
|title = Chinese orchestra shows both solo virtuosity and a familiar sense of tradition
| url = http://newyorkclassicalreview.com/2015/12/chinese-orchestra-shows-both-solo-virtuosity-and-a-familiar-sense-of-tradition/
| website = New York Classical Review
| date = 19 December 2015
| last = Piccoli
| first = Sean
| access-date = 21 December 2015
| quote = Conductor He Jianguo led encores with extended remarks, in Chinese, to an enthusiastic audience between and even during the music.
}}
| title = Feature: Chinese orchestra enchants American audiences with innovative folk music
| author =
| url = http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2015-12/22/c_134938998.htm
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151223164628/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2015-12/22/c_134938998.htm
| archive-date = 23 December 2015
| website = Xinhua News Agency
| date = 21 December 2015
| access-date = 22 December 2015
| quote = The performance was the last of the orchestra's five in the United States. The first three took place at the Kennedy Center in Washington, and the fourth at the Lincoln Center in New York.
}}
|title = Rediscovering Chinese Music in New York
| url = http://english.cri.cn/12394/2015/12/21/4203s909378.htm
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151223110902/http://english.cri.cn/12394/2015/12/21/4203s909378.htm
| url-status = dead
| archive-date = 23 December 2015
| website = CRIENGLISH.com
| last1 = Kun
| first1 = Wang
| last2 = Fei
| first2 = He
| date = 21 December 2015
| access-date = 22 December 2015
| quote = Invited by the Princeton International Chinese Music Festival, the orchestra includes 110 musicians, including famed musicians such as Wang Ciheng, Wu Yuxia, Tang Feng and Feng Mantian.
}}
| url = http://www.chinamusic.eu/1999-china-national-traditional-orchestra/
| title = 1999 China National Traditional Orchestra
| date = 16 February 1999
| website = Wu Promotion
| access-date = 22 December 2015
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151223075610/http://www.chinamusic.eu/1999-china-national-traditional-orchestra/
| archive-date = 23 December 2015
}}
| url = http://www.chinaculture.org/gb/en_artists/2003-12/29/content_45100.htm
| title = China National Music Orchestra
| date = 29 December 2003
| website = Chinaculture.org (Ministry of Culture)
| access-date = 22 December 2015
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160304190705/http://www.chinaculture.org/gb/en_artists/2003-12/29/content_45100.htm
| archive-date = 4 March 2016
}}
| people = Zhu Jianping
| date = 1 January 2004
| title = Fisherman's Song of Triumph (Yu Zhou Kai Ge)
| medium = CD
| url = https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B001GPXWEY
| asin = B001GPXWEY
| access-date = 22 December 2015
| publisher = China Record Corporation
}}
| title = Chinese National Orchestra Concert
| website = eBeijing, the Official Website of the Beijing Government
| url = http://www.ebeijing.gov.cn/Culture/FeelBJ/t1351934.htm
| date = 25 May 2014
| access-date = 24 December 2015
| quote = Not only does the Orchestra maintain traditional music genre, but attempt to breathe new life into it by creating innovative shows…
}}
| last1 = She
| first1 = Ben
| last2 = Ming
| first2= Yi
| year = 2001
| title = China News Reports in United States Media, 3rd Quarter/2000
| language=English
| publisher = Intercontinental
| location = China
| section = The China Report: This Week Report 1
| page = 154
| isbn = 7-80113-797-3
| quote =This week marks the start of a month-long series of special events called China Cultural Exchange 2000. The series begins on Thursday, with a concert by the China National Music Orchestra at the United Nations. The orchestra will then appear at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC on Saturday and Sunday.
}}
|date=2005
|title=Chinese Music
|volume=28
|issue=4
|publisher= Chinese Music Society of North America
|page=78
| quote = [American classical composer] Shen Sinyan representing the Chinese Music Society of North America invited [composer-conductor] Liu Wenjin to visit the United States. In 1984, Shen Sinyan again invited the China National Orchestra to tour the United States.
}}
| website = Chinese Music Society of North America
| url = http://www.chinesemusic.net/event_cmsna_gala.html
| title = China National Orchestra Gala Concert
| date = 31 August 2000
| access-date = 24 December 2015
| location = Naperville, IL
| quote = Many of you still remember the first arrival of the China National Orchestra (CNO) to the United States in 1984. It was then called the Central Traditional Orchestra (CTO). In 1984, history was written when it became the first Chinese orchestra of Chinese instruments to tour the U.S. (program note written by Shen Sin-yan, National President, CMSNA)
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151225093640/http://www.chinesemusic.net/event_cmsna_gala.html
| archive-date = 25 December 2015
}}
| newspaper = The Washington Post
| url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1984/08/13/orchestra-of-china/5970d1de-8866-4fa3-824c-5882ad414d93/
| last = Townsend
| first = J. Kenneth
| title = Orchestra of China
| date = 13 August 1984
| access-date = 24 December 2015
| location = Washington, DC
| quote = The Central Traditional Orchestra of China, touring the United States for the first time, showcases music from one of the most ancient and highly developed musical traditions in the world. The orchestra performed instrumental and vocal selections Saturday night at the National Museum of Natural History in a concert presented by the Smithsonian Resident Associate Program. The humble musicians had to be pushed back onstage by their colleagues several times to acknowledge the audience's standing ovation.}}
| website = Taiwan Today
| url = http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=926&ctNode=2229&mp=9
| last = Chung
| first = Oscar
| title = Southern Winds Sigh Gently Again
| date = 1 January 2004
| access-date = 24 December 2015
| location = Republic of China (Taiwan)
| publisher = Ministry of Foreign Affairs
| quote = In September 1989, the Han-Tang Yuefu Ensemble performed in Beijing Concert Hall in collaboration with the China National Orchestra…}}
| title = An Epic, Majestic, Transcendent Carnegie Hall Concert by the China National Traditional Orchestra
| date = 24 December 2015
| access-date = 24 December 2015
| author = delarue
| website = Lucid Culture (a New York-based music blog)
| url = https://lucidculture.wordpress.com/2015/12/24/china/
| quote = The mighty, majestic group performed a riveting, dynamically rich program of both ancient and contemporary music that was as vast and historically rich as China itself, a paradigm-shifting and potentially life-changing experience}}
| url = http://www.pressreader.com/bookmark/OJUO_mblHOoV9TeHWCL2NpRoLTRVXQl86vxTUv81Ngo1/
| title = Tuning up a tradition
| last1 = Jie
| first1 = Chen
| newspaper = China Daily Hong Kong (via PressReader.com)
| date = 30 December 2015
| access-date = 29 December 2015
| page = 20
| quote = Chinese music reaches out to new audiences with innovative ways to help listeners identify with the stories behind it, Chen Jie discovers.}}
| url = https://www.broadwayworld.com/washington-dc/regional/Image-ChinaXuanzang-s-Pilgrimage-273300
| title = Image China: Xuanzang's Pilgrimage
| date = 11 December 2018
| website = Broadway World
| publisher = Wisdom Digital Media
| access-date = 11 December 2018
| quote = China Performing Arts Agency will bring the US premiere of Xuanzang's Pilgrimage to The Kennedy Center Opera House in January 2019.}}
}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20151219055825/http://www.rediscoverchinesemusic.org/ 2015 US Concert Tour – Official Website]
- [https://twitter.com/rcmtour 2015 US Concert Tour – Twitter Profile]
- [http://www.ccno.net/ Official website in China]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20160304081725/http://www.chinacno.org/ Archived version of former version of official website in China]
{{Chinese orchestras}}
{{authority control}}
Category:Musical groups from Beijing
Category:Musical groups established in 1960