London Philharmonic to set the tone of new year

The first big-name orchestra and world-renowned conductor to grace Beijing in 2010 is the London Philharmonic Orchestra and its guest conductor, Christoph Eschenbach. Chinese fans of classical music are waiting with bated breath.

In January 2008, as the first Western orchestra to play at the newly open National Center for the Performing Arts (NCPA), the London Philharmonic Orchestra gave an unforgettable concert. As for German conductor Eschenbach, he is loved as much for his outstanding musicality as for discovering Chinese keyboard star Lang Lang at the Ravinia Festival in the summer of 1999.

This time, the 69-year-old conductor has two programs for Beijing fans. Tonight, at the NCPA, it will be an all-Dvorak program, including Carnival Overture, Symphony No 8 in G major and Symphony No 9 in E minor.