Suzhou Chinese orchestra to stage Chinese folk music in Portland

The two cities won a 2014 US-China Sister Cities Award in "economy and trade" granted by Sister Cities International.

Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler led a delegation to Suzhou from April 22-27. He was accompanied by 30 leaders in cultural, educational and business organizations.

In Suzhou, Wheeler and Mayor Li Yaping planted a friendship tree as well as signed a proclamation commemorating the sister-city anniversary and committing the cities to further collaboration.

The Suzhou orchestra is a municipal public welfare professional orchestra jointly established by Suzhou and Suzhou New District (SND). The orchestra features both traditional and modern elements and aims to inherit the essence of folk music as well as promote folk music innovation.

It is responsible for staging Chinese folk music classics and local folk music of Suzhou as well as promoting Chinese folk music to the world.

Dedicated to the inheritance and innovative development of Chinese folk music, the orchestra has recruited more than 80 members, including renowned musicians and students from top-class music schools across the country. Famous conductor Pang Kapang is artistic director and principal conductor and the celebrated erhu (traditional Chinese two-string instrument) player and composerZhu Changyao is the art instructor.