Folk Reimagined: East in Symphony Guizhou Chinese Orchestra & The Australia Orchestra

7 July 2025

In the Concert Hall

Classical Music

A powerful East-meets-West concert blending Chinese folk traditions with Western symphonic grandeur — from Guizhou’s Kam Grand Choir and The Yellow River Piano Concerto to China’s Four Great Classics and Black Myth: Wukong.

A Symphonic Fantasy from the Four Classics to Wukong

Experience the power of Chinese folk traditions reimagined through the grandeur of a symphony orchestra in this bold cross-cultural collaboration between Guizhou Chinese Orchestra and The Australia Orchestra.  

This one-night-only concert opens with the ethereal multi-part harmonies of the Guizhou Kam Grand Choir (侗族大歌), followed by the stirring energy of the iconic Yellow River Piano Concerto. Audiences will journey through vivid orchestral interpretations of stories from China’s Four Great Classical Novels (四大名著), before culminating in a spectacular new symphonic fantasy inspired by the contemporary gaming phenomenon Black Myth: Wukong.  Blending tradition with innovation, this is a musical celebration across generations and cultures — where East meets West, and folk meets symphony. 

Presented by Ryan Maxwell Event

Program

Guizhou Kam Grand Choir 侗族大歌 | UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage

Yellow River Piano Concerto 《黄河》钢琴协奏曲

Deep in the Night – Jinghu Concerto 《夜深沉》京胡协奏曲

China’s Four Great Classical Novels 《四大名著组曲》

Black Myth: Wukong 《黑神话:悟空》

Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix 《百鸟朝凤》

Artists

Long Guohong – Conductor

Luke Spicer – Guest Conductor

Tamara-Anna Cislowska – Piano Soloist

Jiang Kemei – Jinghu Soloist

Zhang Qianyuan – Suona Soloist

Guizhou Chinese Orchestra

The Australia Orchestra

Plan your visit

You may also like

Donald Runnicles conducts Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony

12 – 14 Sep 2025

You can feel the tension in Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony. Written after he had been denounced by Stalin for writing ‘muddle instead of music’, Shostakovich’s response was this symphony. Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony is a mighty, sweeping masterpiece that unleashes the full power of the orchestra; a bold statement that found universal approval. Principal Guest Conductor Sir Donald Runnicles is world-renowned for connecting audiences to the emotion of music, which means you’ll feel every dramatic twist and turn, with goosebumps guaranteed in the blazing finale.

  • Classical Music
  • Sydney Symphony Orchestra
Donald Runnicles stands with baton in his left hand as he conducts the Sydney Symphony Orchestra

The Tallis Scholars

12 Oct 2025

Award-winning British vocal ensemble, The Tallis Scholars return to the Sydney Opera House for the first time in over two decades with an unmissable program inspired by the timeless beauty of Gregorian chant. The Tallis Scholars are renowned for their stunning cappella performances and exquisite recordings of sacred vocal music. The choir first sang at the Sydney Opera House in 1985, 40 years ago, and has returned five times since.

  • Classical Music

A Musical Awakening

21 Sep 2025

Music is visceral and vital. In A Musical Awakening, we invite you to take a breath and lean into this program designed to nourish your soul. Directed by ACO Principal Cello Timo-Veikko Valve, the Orchestra will be joined by friend and recorder virtuoso Genevieve Lacey, whose mastery of this most elemental of instruments is unsurpassed.

  • Classical Music
  • Australian Chamber Orchestra
The surface of a dark body of water with light reflected of gentle waves and wind creating soft spray of whitewater.

Checking availability