On the eve of the arrival of the brand-new year, 2025, the Beijing New Year’s Concert, which is held annually by the NCPA on December 31^st, returned as expected. At the moment of opening a new chapter of the year, LÜ Jia, Artistic Director of Music of the NCPA, wields the baton of the NCPA Orchestra and Chorus in collaboration with brilliant artists to deliver the first blessing of 2025 to the audience.


That evening, both the audience and the performers’ faces in the NCPA Concert Hall were filled with joy and high anticipation for the coming new year. At 19:30 p.m., the NCPA Orchestra and Chorus began with the stirring Ode to Red Flag under LÜ Jia’s baton. Composed by LÜ Qiming, a recipient of the “July 1 Medal”, the symphonic overture has been a fixture for the opening repertoire at the Beijing New Year’s Concert for years.

Following this, violinist YANG Tianwa took the stage, performing Fritz Kreisler's Tambourin Chinois and Tchaikovsky's “Mélodie” in cooperation with the NCPA Orchestra. Tambourin Chinois, composed by classical techniques, brings out a distinctive Eastern flavor, showcasing the beauty of cross-cultural fusion, while “Mélodie” charms the audience with its soft and delicate tone, as if telling a tale of nostalgia that captivates the heart.

Continuing on the celebration of the new year, the talented horn player, ZENG Yun, first principal horn of the Berlin Philharmonic, performed Paul Ducas' Villanelle with the orchestra. With his virtuosity, ZENG Yun breathed life into this piece, offering a vibrant rendition that delighted the audience.

Next, erhu master JIANG Jianhua performed A Beautiful Night arranged by ZOU Hang together with the orchestra. This familiar erhu piece, beloved by Chinese audiences, features a serene and melodic tune that evokes a longing for peaceful and beautiful evenings.

Pianist ZHANG Haochen also brought an element of surprise to the concert, performing the third movement of Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 1 in F-sharp Minor, Op. 1. The fast-paced, dynamic music earned the wholehearted applause of the audience. Following this, LÜ Jia conducted the orchestra in a lively performance of Shostakovich's Festive Overture, which brought the first half of the concert to a close.

The second half of the concert proceeded with brilliance. Tenor Igor Morozov and soprano LI Xintong gave a flawless duet performance of the piece Spring Wind across China, with lyrics by SHI Shunyi and music by MENG Weidong, along with an aria from Verdi’s La Traviata titled “Un dì, felice, eterea”. Spring Wind across China beautifully portrays the refreshing atmosphere of spring and the hopeful anticipation for the future, while “Un dì, felice, eterea” expresses the beauty and preciousness of love.

Later, LÜ Jia conducted the NCPA Orchestra and Chorus in the “Gli aranci olezzano” from Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana and “Three Variations on Plum Blossom” from ZOU Jingzhi’s Reverberant Melodies in Memory, composed by ZOU Ye. These pieces showcased the unique charm of music inspired by different cultures. The concert reached its grand finale with the majestic first movement, "Yongding Gate", from the Symphonic Chorus Beijing Cantata, composed by MENG Weidong and lyrics by ZOU Jingzhi. This piece is not only a deep homage to the city of Beijing but also a beautiful New Year’s wish for the audience.

After the performance concluded, all the artists returned to the stage to join the audience in singing Me and My Motherland, sharing in the collective wish for the prosperity and flourishing of the great motherland, amid the audience's enthusiastic applause and cheers.

The NCPA also invited 21 model workers from provincial and ministerial-level positions through the "Public Seat" initiative to attend the concert and tour the venue. Qinggele Jirigele, a national labor model and chief technical expert at Shougang Technical Research Institute, expressed, "Having the opportunity to attend this concert just before 2025 fills me with excitement and allows me to feel the beauty of the new era. We should love our motherland and Beijing even more, and gather strength for the coming year’s work."

The 2025 New Year’s Concert will continue with the same impressive lineup of artists and carefully curated programs on January 1^st, with performances at 14:00 p.m. in the BPAC Concert Hall and at 19:30 in the NCPA Concert Hall. Stay tuned!

After the conclusion of the December 31^st Beijing New Year’s Concert, conductor ZHANG Yi will lead the Symphony Orchestra of the National Ballet of China at 23:00 p.m. in the NCPA Concert Hall for the New Year's Eve Gala, which will feature a diverse programme of classic and contemporary works, including the Ruslan and Ludmila overture, selected movements from The Eternal Wave suite, Symphonic Pictures of My Fair Lady, four Inner Mongolian folk songs, the "Waltz of the Snowflakes" from The Nutcracker, and the "Marche Hongroise " from La Damnation de Faust, welcoming the arrival of the new year with a rich musical gift for the audience.