Belated debut of a 'Big Five'

For years it has been widely agreed that there is a Big Five among American orchestras: the Boston Symphony, Chicago Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, New York Philharmonic and Philadelphia Orchestra.

They all have the best conductors and musicians, a huge following and each is a symbol of its city and a source of local pride. The only difference for Chinese audiences, however, is that the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) is the only one that has never been here.

That will end next month when the CSO makes its first trip to the Chinese mainland in its 118-year history. The CSO will play at the Shanghai Grand Theater on Feb 10 and 11 and at Beijing's National Center for the Performing Arts on Feb 13 and 14.