Musicians From Shanghai Orchestra Academy To Undertake Performance Residency With The SSO

Three students from the Shanghai Orchestra Academy (SOA) will arrive in Sydney on Sunday to participate in a performance residency with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra (SSO), as the SSO continues its commitment to helping to develop the next generation of Chinese orchestral musicians.

Violinist Minxian Sun (25), violist Kuan Liu (25) and double bassist Kaixuan Zhang (23) will spend two weeks rehearsing and performing in the programs Belshazzar's Feast and Bluebeard's Castle: with Bach and Brahms with Chief Conductor and Artistic Director David Robertson and the musicians of the SSO at the Sydney Opera House in a residency, held November 19 to December 3.

The students were selected by audition in September by SSO Concertmaster Andrew Haveron and Principal Cello Umberto Clerici when the SSO toured to Shanghai as part of its 2017 China tour. The SSO held two days of master classes at SOA and auditioned strings players for the Sydney opportunity.

Andrew Haveron, SSO Concertmaster, said: "The calibre of talent among the students who auditioned was exceptionally high this year, which made choosing our guests a very difficult decision. Our collaboration with SOA has been very successful in the past, with both the students and SSO musicians having a fabulous time working together in Sydney. The opportunity for any student to work in a professional orchestra is invaluable; it's the type of experience that lasts for the rest of your professional life."