Classical collaboration

DG also announced at its headquarters in Berlin on Monday that it will celebrate its 120th anniversary this year with an unprecedented range of activities across the world. And Yu and the SSO will join the celebrations with a gala concert at the Imperial Ancestral Temple of the Forbidden City on October 10.

There, they will perform Orff's Carmina Burana with soprano Aida Garifullina, tenor Toby Spence and baritone Ludovic Tezier, before being joined by pianist Helene Grimaud for Ravel's Piano Concerto in G major.

Speaking about the contract, Clemens Trautmann, the president of DG, says: "I am excited about the new partnership. And we will collaborate with these leading and inspiring musicians and institutions in the world's most vibrant classical music environment.

"The work Yu has accomplished with the Shanghai Symphony in the last decade is truly remarkable. And it is reflected today in his high-profile international engagements and in the orchestra's impressive tour schedule, including its debut at last year's Lucerne Summer Festival.

"The recordings will help draw global attention to the outstanding musicianship of Long Yu and the SSO, and foster the already significant profile of DG in China."