China Broadcasting Traditional Orchestra
Founded in 1953, the China Broadcasting Traditional Orchestra is the most successful and influential orchestra in China. Pang Kapang is the orchestra’s Artistic director and the principal conductor.
The orchestra was formed to celebrate the deeply rooted folk music traditions of China’s various ethnic groups, and was originally led by the late maestro of traditional Chinese music, Peng Xiuwen.
The orchestra is widely recognized as one of the world’s most unique orchestras with its self-styled, instrumental arrangement and restoration of ancient musical instruments. Its four instrumental sections (bowed string, plucked string, wind and percussion) use some of China’s oldest musical instruments such as the Ruan Xian (plucked string), the sheng (reed/wind), the paigu (percussion), and the bamboo flute.
The orchestra draws on the heritage of Chinese classical and folk music and is grounded in the wide ranging musical expressions of ancient Chinese dynasties (Qing Dynasty), regional music (Canton, Chaozhou, Jiangnan), the wind music of Hebei, drum music of Xi’an opera (Peking, Kunqu Operas) and ethnic groups (Miao, Dong, Tujia, and Uygur).
The orchestra’s expansive repertoire also encompasses contemporary Chinese orchestral music and has produced many original works, including the award winning “Rhythm of Flowing Water” and “Fantasia Terra-cotta Warriors”.
The orchestra has also adapted some of the world’s most famous compositions to Chinese string including Mozart’s “String Serenade in G Major”, “Bizet’s Carmen Suite” and Bernstein’s “Overture to Candide”.
