# China National Traditional Orchestra

The China National Traditional Orchestra (CNTO) (Chinese: 中国 中央 民族 乐团 or 中央 民族 乐团; also called China National Orchestra) is a 110-piece orchestra of traditional Chinese musical instruments with an accompanying folk choir. Founded in Beijing, China in 1960, the orchestra is a state-level (national) performing arts institution directly administered and endorsed by China's Ministry of Culture (MOC). Its mission is to promote and advance China's musical heritage. CNTO is part of a cultural exchange program called Image China and the orchestra is managed by the China Arts and Entertainment Group (CAEG).

## History

The China National Traditional Orchestra was founded by composer and conductor Li Huanzhi (1919–2000), the former chair of the Chinese Musicians' Association. CNTO's current president and producer is musician and ethnomusicologist Xi Qiang, who is a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. In 1993, the China National Traditional Orchestra founded Orchestra Asia, together with Ensemble Nipponia of Japan and the South Korean National Orchestra.
In the interest of promoting a larger view of Chinese culture, CNTO became the first Chinese orchestra known for combining music performance with other Chinese art forms, such as painting. Its 2015 concert tour Rediscover Chinese Music, was promoted as "a breathtaking multimedia experience" with storytelling, lighting and sound special effects, multimedia backdrops, and moving scenery.

### Alternate names

The China National Traditional Orchestra has been known by several English names over the years, largely due to challenges with Chinese translation. The orchestra's Chinese name is pronounced in Chinese as Zhōngguó Zhōngyāng Mínzú Yuètuán, where Zhōngguó means "China," zhōngyāng means "central," and mínzú yuètuán means "ethnic nationalities" orchestra.
In English-speaking countries, the CNTO has been misidentified as other similarly named Chinese orchestras. The orchestra has also been referred to by different names within the same news article and in the orchestra's own promotional materials.
English variants of the orchestra's name include:
| Central Chinese Orchestra | Central Traditional Orchestra | Central Nationalities Orchestra |
| China Central Chinese Orchestra | China Central Folk Orchestra | China Central Orchestra |
| China Central National Music Orchestra | China Central National Orchestra | China Chinese Central National Orchestra |
| China Chinese National Orchestra | Chinese National Orchestra | China Central Nationalities Orchestra |
| National Chinese Traditional Orchestra | National Orchestra of China | National Traditional Orchestra of China |
Perhaps owing to its favored relationship with China's Ministry of Culture, orchestra leadership might have continually revised the ensemble's English name to reflect its current importance or social status, differentiate it from countless other Chinese orchestras, and emphasize the CNTO's stated mission of "sharing China's musical heritage with the world." In 2015, the orchestra has been consistently billed and promoted as the China National Traditional Orchestra at the Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall, and Lincoln Center, as evidenced by venue calendars and ticket sales webpages.

## Notable orchestra members

* Xi Qiang, producer and president of the orchestra

### Musicians

* Wang Chaoge, director
* Jiang Ying, composer and arranger
* Liu Sha, conductor
* Tang Feng, Erhu
* Jin Yue, Erhu
* Wang Ciheng, Dizi and Xiao
* Wu Yuxia, Pipa and deputy president of the orchestra
* Zhao Cong, Pipa
* Yu Yuanchun, Pipa
* Wei Yuru, Ruan
* Feng Maintain, Ruan
* Niu Jiandang, Suona
* Zhu Jianping, percussion
* Yu Xin, percussion
* Chen Shasha and Ding Xiaokui, Dizi
* Zhang Jiali, Guan
* Lu Ning, Guqin

### Creative team

* Li Bin, stage design
* Wang Yugang, lighting design
* Gan Hua, multimedia design
* Zheng Zejian, multimedia design
* Zuo Huanyu, costume design
* Shen Tian, sound design

## Performances

The orchestra has performed throughout China and visited dozens of nations on five continents.

### Highlights

* In 1984, American classical composer Shen Sinyan, a member of the Chinese Music Society of North America, invited the orchestra to tour the United States. The orchestra became "the first Chinese orchestra of Chinese instruments" to do so.
* In 1996, the Carnegie Hall Corporation commissioned Chinese-American composer Bright Sheng to create Spring Dreams, a concerto for Yo-Yo Ma and the orchestra.
* In 1997, Spring Dreams was performed by the orchestra and the famed cellist.
* In 1998, the orchestra performed for the first time at a special New Year concert in the Vienna Golden Hall (a.k.a. Wiener Musikverein).
* In 2004, the orchestra cancelled its appearance at a concert that contained Christian content.
* In 2011, the orchestra became the first traditional Chinese music group to perform at Austria's Salzburg Summer Festival.
* In 2014, American pop music artist Katy Perry visited the orchestra to hear an arrangement of her song "Roar" played on traditional Chinese instruments.
* In December 2015, members from the orchestra performed for and with students of Washington Yu Ying Public Charter School in a school assembly; the first time the orchestra had performed for local primary school students. The school's chorus – 40 singers, ages 9 to 11 – also performed a song with the orchestra during its Kennedy Center concert dates.
Performance chronology :
| Year | Dates | Location | Venue | Event and/or Concert | Notes | Source |
| 1984 | 11 August | Washington, DC | National Museum of Natural History | | Concert presented by the Smithsonian Resident Associate Program. | The Washington Post Smithsonian Institution Archives |
| 1989 | September | Beijing, China | Beijing Concert Hall | | In collaboration with the Han-Tang Yuefu Ensemble. | Taiwan Today |
| 1997 | 19 February | Worcester, MA | Mechanics Hall | premier of Spring Dreams | Performance of concerto commissioned for Yo-Yo Ma and the orchestra. | Worcester Magazine ISSUU ScoresOnDemand |
| 1997 | 20 February | New York, NY | Carnegie Hall | premier of Spring Dreams | Performance of concerto commissioned for Yo-Yo Ma and the orchestra. | New York Times ISSUU ScoresOnDemand |
| 1998 | 27 January | Vienna, Austria | Vienna Golden Hall (Wiener Musikverein) | Chinese Lunar New Year Concert / Grand Chinese New Year Concert | Chen Xieyang, conductor | South China Morning Post Beijing Review |
| 2000 | 24 August | New York, NY | United Nations (UN) General Assembly Hall | China Cultural Exchange 2000 | | BeijingTheatre.com The China Report |
| 2000 | 26–27 August | Washington, DC | Eisenhower Theater, Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts | | | Washington City Paper |
| 2000 | 31 August | Chicago, IL | Orchestra Hall, Symphony Center | China National Orchestra Gala Concert | | Chicago Reader Chinese Music Society of North America |
| 2000 | 3 September | St. Louis, MO | Powell Symphony Hall | Faces of Love Towards the East | St. Louis Mayor Clarence Harmon proclaimed 3 September 2000 as China National Orchestra Day. | St. Louis Chinese American News |
| 2000 | 10 September | San Francisco, CA | Davies Symphony Hall | | San Francisco debut. Sold-out performance. Standing ovation. At the end of program, the orchestra played three encores. | AsianWeek San Francisco Classical Voice |
| 2000 | 17 September | New York, NY | Lincoln Center | The Bronze Culture Festival | Yo-Yo Ma performs. | The Wall Street Journal |
| 2010 | 29 January | Brussels, Belgium | BOZAR Centre for Fine Arts | Europalia China Art Festival | Concert organized by Europalia International and the Chinese Ministry of Culture. | BOZAR Centre for Fine Arts Calendar China.org.cn |
| 2010 | 30 January | Paris, France | UNESCO Headquarters or Maison de l'UNESCO | Chinese New Year Concert | By invitation, limited seating capacity. Chen Xieyang, conductor | UNESCO |
| 2010 | 1 November | Beijing, China | Concert Hall of the NCPA (National Center for the Performing Arts) | Month-long series of stage performances to celebrate the country's cultural achievements | Chen Xieyang, conductor | China Central Television |
| 2011 | 5 August | Salzburg, Austria | | 91st Salzburg Festival / Salzburg Summer Festival | Marks the first time a traditional Chinese music group played at this event. Chen Xieyang, director Xi Qiang, orchestra chair | China Central Television Xinhua News Agency |
| 2011 | 7 December | Beijing, China | Concert Hall of the NCPA (National Center for the Performing Arts) | Part of concert series: One Hundred Concerts of Chinese Music | | BeijingTheatre.com |
| 2012 | 14 June | Beijing, China | Concert Hall of the NCPA (National Center for the Performing Arts) | Bamboo in Blues | | BeijingTheatre.com |
| 2013 | 4 February | Los Angeles, CA | | Spring Festival Celebration | | |
| 2013 | 8–10 February | Stanford, CA | Bing Concert Hall, Stanford University | Pan-Asian Music Festival; Friday Night's Concert: Masters and Masterpieces | Three-day residency at the university culminated in live performance, with several standing ovations and four encores... | Stanford Report Stanford Pan-Asian Music Festival 2013 (program) Official Press Release |
| 2013 | 17 February | Raleigh, NC | Meymandi Concert Hall, Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts | China on String | Stars of the National Chinese Traditional Orchestra in a program with the Raleigh Symphony Orchestra. Program sponsored by Confucius Institute at NC State University and the Carolina China Council. | CVNC: An Online Arts Journal |
| 2013 | 26 August | Beijing, China | Concert Hall of the NCPA (National Center for the Performing Arts) | Impression of Chinese Music | Wang Chaoge, director | CITS |
| 2013 | 2 October | Sanford, NC | Dennis A. Wicker Civic Center, Central Carolina Community College | Chinese Music Exhibition & Seminar | Xi Qiang, artistic director | US Fed News Service Central Carolina Community College News |
| 2013 | 22 November | St. Petersburg, Russia | Mariinsky Theater, Theatre Square | Chinese Tourism Year in Russia | | China Central Television |
| 2014 | 13 January | Beijing, China | | Roar | Katy Perry visited. | Getmusic Asia China Central Television |
| 2014 | 14 February | San Francisco, CA | | Chinese New Year Concert | | Consulate General of the People's Republic of China in San Francisco |
| 2015 | 15 February | Chicago, IL | Symphony Center | Sounds of China: A Chinese New Year Celebration | Presented in collaboration with the Chinese Fine Arts Society (CFAS) Jiuyue Ma, artistic director | Chicago Tribune Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association Chicago Chinatown Chamber of Commerce E-News |
| 2015 | 15 April | Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada | Chan Centre for the Performing Arts, University of British Columbia | China-Canada Year Opening Ceremony | | China Daily US |
| 2015 | 7 May | Atlanta, GA | The World of Coca-Cola | Free concert to launch the Qin-Tai – Chinese Music Program | Brought to Atlanta by the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and the State Council Information Office of the People's Republic of China. | GCIV Exchange Newsletter |
| 2015 | 27 November | Shanghai, China | Shanghai Grand Theater | Rediscover Chinese Music | An experimental program. Xi Qiang, orchestra president Wang Chaoge, director Jiang Ying, composer | Shanghai Daily |
| 2015 | 11–13 December | Washington, DC | Kennedy Center Opera House | Rediscover Chinese Music | The Washington Yu Ying Public Charter School Chorus performed with the orchestra. Jiang Ying, composer and arranger Li Bin, stage design Wang Yugang, lighting design Gan Hua and Zheng Zejian, multimedia design Zuo Huanyu, costume design Shen Tian, sound design Xi Qiang, producer | Kennedy Center Washington Post Magazine DC Outlook Washington Chinese Media Metro Weekly NewsChannel 8 (cable) |
| 2015 | 18 December | New York, NY | Lincoln Center | China National Traditional Orchestra: Splendor of Folk Music | Tang Feng, Erhu (Chinese Fiddle) Wu Yuxia, Pipa (Chinese Lute) Wang Ciheng, Dongxiao (Chinese Bamboo Flute) Wu Lin, Konghou (Chinese Harp) Zhao Cong, Pipa (Chinese Lute) | Lincoln Center Broadway World New York Classical Review |
| 2015 | 20 December | New York, NY | Carnegie Hall | Impression Guoyue: Traditional Master Works | Orchestra was invited by the Princeton International Chinese Music Festival. Jiang Ying, composer and arranger Liu Sha, conductor Tang Feng and Jin Yue, erhu Wang Ciheng, dizi and xiao Wu Yuxia, Zhao Cong, and Yu Yuanchun, pipa Feng Maintain, ruan Niu Jiandang, suona Zhu Jianping and Yu Xin, percussion Chen Shasha and Ding Xiaokui, dizi Zhang Jiali, guanzi Lu Ning, gu qin | Lucid Culture (NY blog) Carnegie Hall Broadway World Xinhua News Agency |
| 2019 | 25 January | Washington, DC | Opera House at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts | Image China: Xuanzang's Pilgrimagen | | Broadway World |

## Criticism

The China National Traditional Orchestra has faced its share of criticism in the past – both at home and abroad – in that it did not actually promote actual traditional Chinese music in the beginning, but rather, it used the Western-style orchestra model that was prevalent in much of the orchestra world. Historically, traditional Chinese music was performed with soloists or in small ensembles rather than in large concert halls. What's more, to be more accessible to Western audiences when playing internationally, the orchestra's concert repertoire has in the past included works by Bach and Strauss, and contemporary songs like "New York, New York", and non-Chinese patriotic hymns like "America the Beautiful". In recent years, the orchestra has focused on the commission and arrangement of more traditional pieces representative of its heritage.
Not to be outdone by Western or popular music trends, the orchestra also collaborates with well-known directors like Wang Chaoge to help inject energy into traditional music performances by "creating innovative shows." The orchestra's performances outside of China appear to be well received, as inferred by sold-out concerts, standing ovations, multiple encores, and media coverage. For example, at the December 2015 Kennedy Center premiere of Rediscover Chinese Music, an audience member was recorded on camera saying "[the show] was moving. It was beautiful." One could assume that the orchestra's efforts to fuse modern stage production values with ethnic melodies has been a successful tactic in attracting new, enthusiastic audiences.