On April 26^th, 2022, the NCPA announced a temporary closure in accordance with the Municipality of Beijing’s policy on epidemic prevention and control. In the ensuing 40 days, the NCPA had cancelled performances and events, one after another, with live performances temporarily suspended. The NCPA has elaborately planned and launched more exciting online performances for our amazing audience. Additionally, the NCPA has been preparing for the eventual resumption of live performances.On June 5^th, 2022, Artistic Director of NCPA, LÜ Jia, took the lead by returning on stage with the China NCPA Orchestra and delivered a concert themed, “Heroic Spirit”. Beethoven’s timeless and heart-pounding musical pieces No. 5 Symphony and No. 3 Symphony were played in homage to the citizens, who have worked together with tremendous tenacity and courage in fighting the epidemic, showing a heroic spirit. As the pandemic is becoming more inactive, it’s time to boost the audience’s confidence by injecting a positive power into them with music. The concert was also live-streamed on the NCPA Classical, etc., marking its grand reopening. According to the latest policy on epidemic prevention and control issued by Beijing on June 5^th, the NCPA would reopen in an all-round manner on June 6^th. The “Heroic Spirit” concert would be held again on the evening of the 6^th. Live performances and offline visits can be fully resumed in order.

At 19:30 on the evening of June 5^th, LÜ Jia took firm steps and mounted the concert podium that has been so very familiar to him. Every musician of the orchestra was also visibly touched and excited —— having waited in vain for more than a month, they were now on cloud nine. The NCPA organised the staff to watch the live performance while live-streaming it and kicking off the resumption of stage-setting. Everybody was wearing a mask, but their passion and desire for music couldn’t be concealed.

GONG Jicheng, Vice President of the NCPA, said in an interview, “We have elaborately planned the concert to boost confidence and enhance morale with Beethoven’s music. This, at the crucial moment, reflects the NCPA’s sense of mission and responsibility as a national cultural platform. Art embodies people’s yearning for a better life, while the power of art is inspiring. After reopening, the NCPA will provide the audience with a safe and comfortable viewing environment by taking different means such as 75% seat occupancy and 72-hour nucleic acid testing in strict accordance with the Beijing City’s requirements for epidemic prevention and control.”

Since the end of April 2022, the NCPA has been strictly implementing the municipal policy on epidemic prevention and control, as well as issuing announcements on performance cancellations and ticket refunding on its official website, WeChat, Weibo, etc., and responding to all comments and private messages from the audience. It is reported that NCPA cancelled more than 140 performances and popularisation activities from April 26^th to June 5^th.

On the other hand, the NCPA gave full play to its leading and exemplary role in the field of culture and art, with “live performances suspended while online performances continued”. Virtuoso performances and events were held without ceasing, in order to provide high-quality cultural services for the audience. From April 26^th to June 5^th, the NCPA launched nine performances online, including Capriccio of Spring, Art for the People, Growing up with My Motherland, and “Star of Hope” Youth Ballet and Modern Dance Festival, to mark the second anniversary of online launching, as well as the “International Museum Day”, the 80^th anniversary of the “Yan’an Forum on Literature and Art”, “Children’s Day”, etc., receiving total clicks of more than 200 million.


After full reopening on June 6^th, the NCPA will resume live performances and offline visits one by one. The NCPA Drama Ensemble will stage a self-produced drama, Crossroads. The NCPA’s proprietary performing arts groups, including the China NCPA Orchestra, China NCPA Chorus, NCPA Resident Opera Singers, and NCPA BDA Youth Dance Troupe, will return to the stage one after another with exciting symphony concerts, chorus concerts, opera and dance performances, etc. The NCPA Opera will lend its stage to the National Ballet of China for ballet performances of Dunhuang, Onegin, and Giselle.

The NCPA will also resume various art popularisation activities including the Weekend Concert, NCPA Classical Art Lecture, Into the World of Records, and Public Space Performance, as a supplement to wonderful performances. Besides, “Inheritance & Contemporary Painting: A Special Exhibition commemorating the 80^th Anniversary of Comrade Mao Zedong’s ‘Speech at the Yan’an Forum on Literature and Art’”, “Symphony of Mountains and Rivers: Oil Painting of Southern China Scenery”, “Never-Ending Stage—An Exhibition of NCPA’s Achievements”, “Art for the People” Theme Exhibition, and various space exhibitions will also be opened to the audience as well.