"I first listened to the piece in 1953 when I was a student at the middle school affiliated to the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. It was very cold outside and I passed by a room where many college students were listening to the piece together on a radio," recalls Chen Xieyang. "It felt like an amazing journey, full of emotion."

On Nov 18, on the occasion of the fifth birthday of Suzhou Symphony Orchestra, Chen Xieyang led the orchestra to perform The Gadfly Suite and Symphony No 10 in E Minor in a concert held at Jinji Lake Concert Hall, home of the orchestra.

With an average age of 30, the orchestra features about 80 musicians from 17 countries and regions, including China, Japan, South Korea, the United Kingdom and the United States. Chen Guangxian, director of the troupe, says that the establishment of the Suzhou Symphony Orchestra was a unique experience and helped create special bonds with musicians from around the world.

Suzhou has a rich history of ancient art forms, such as pingtan, which combines storytelling and ballad singing in the Suzhou dialect, and Kunqu Opera, one of the oldest forms of Chinese opera that dates back more than 600 years.

The orchestra has come to Beijing to perform as part of the Suzhou Arts and Culture Week, from Thursday to Jan 20. The Suzhou Ballet Theater, Suzhou Song and Dance Theater, Suzhou Kunqu Opera Troupe, and Suzhou Pingtan Theater will also perform in the capital.

Contact the writer at chennan@chinadaily.com.cn