NCPA Pure Classical will be held from October to December with A-list symphony orchestras, master conductors and virtuosos invited to offer the Chinese audience a classical music feast in autumn. The NCPA Concert Hall will see the wonderful performances of world-famous orchestras, such as the London Symphony Orchestra, Lucerne Festival Orchestra, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Bamberger Symphoniker and NDR Symphony Orchestra, and masters including Sir Simon Rattle, Chailly, Sir Schiff, Pletnev, Ax, Siqing Lu and YUNDI. Whether you’re a picky “senior music lover” or a new spectator to step into the concert hall for the first time, you will surely find the beauty of classical music in this series.

Sir Simon Rattle

A Music Director is the “soul” of a symphony orchestra. This year, NCPA Pure Classical has invited Sir Simon Rattle, Music Director of the London Symphony Orchestra, and Riccardo Chailly, Music Director of the Lucerne Festival Orchestra, among others.

London Symphony Orchestra

On October 3^rd, Sir Simon Rattle will make a return visit to Beijing to raise his baton over the London Symphony Orchestra to perform Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 2. Piano virtuoso Emanuel Ax will join to play Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 2.


Chailly is also an old friend of NCPA. As a Music Director, he has paid many visits to NCPA with the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra and Lucerne Festival Orchestra. From October 12^th to 13^th, the Lucerne Festival Orchestra will render Mahler’s Symphony No. 6, composed in the post-Abbado Era, under the maestro Chailly’s leadership and work with the rising Russian pianist Malofeev in Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3. It is worth mentioning that this year marks the 10^th anniversary of the Lucerne Festival Orchestra’s debut in China.

Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin

Afterwards, the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, NDR Radiophilharmonie and Cappella Andrea Barca will give an authentic music performance under their Music Director’s leadership.

NDR Radiophilharmonie

Geographically, this year’s NCPA Pure Classical will bring together representative orchestras from different countries and regions in continental Europe. This year’s journey to music will start in London and then pass by Vienna, Lucerne, Berlin, Bamberg and Hanover.

Vienna Boys’ Choir

On October 4^th, the Vienna Boys’ Choir will appear at the NCPA to sing classics by Mozart, Schubert and Mendelssohn under Jimmy Chiang’s baton. They will also sing Chinese songs including I Love You, China, Jasmine Flower and Tea-Picking.

Andrew Manze

The “German delegation” consists of three symphony orchestras, of which the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin will perform Shostakovich’s and Mahler’s masterpieces with the rising violinist Benedetti under the Music Director Robin Ticciati on October 16^th. The new-generation outstanding conductor Jakub Hrůša will appear on the stage with the Bamberger Symphoniker on November 1^st and perform masterpieces by Beethoven, Bruch and Dvorak with the violinist Vilde Frang. The famous hardcore conductor Andrew Manze will make his appearance on November 24^th with the NDR Radiophilharmonie and invite the celebrated clarinetist Martin Fröst to interpret Beethoven and Mozart.

Bamberger Symphoniker

Next year marks the 250^th anniversary of the birth of Beethoven, so when preparing their repertoire, the famous orchestras and maestros will give priority to the his classic masterpieces. This time, Sir András Schiff & Cappella Andrea Barca, Pletnev and the NDR Radiophilharmonie have developed a repertoire with Beethoven’s works at the core.

Sir András Schiff

Sir András Schiff gave a piano recital at last year’s NCPA Pure Classical, showing his charm in an authentic performance. From October 30^th to 31^st this year, he will offer a pure feast of music with the Cappella Andrea Barca, which has attended the Salzburg Mozart Music Week for many times. At two concerts where Sir Schiff will play and conduct, the audience will enjoy Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 2, Piano Concerto No. 4 and Piano Concerto No. 5, Mozart’s Symphony No. 39 and Symphony No. 41, and the Ricercar a 6 from Bach’s A Musical Offering.


On November 5^th, the Russian piano virtuoso Pletnev, who came four years ago, will return to NCPA to play solos including Beethoven’s last two piano sonatas composed in his later years, as well as Mozart’s Piano Sonata No. 4 and Piano Sonata No. 10, composed in his early and middle years. On November 24^th, the NDR Radiophilharmonie will give a concert under the theme of “Destiny”. They will perform Beethoven’s Overture to Fidelio and Symphony No. 5 to interpret the famous “destiny motive” in the authentic sounds of of German and Austrian music”.