Mainland orchestra in Taiwan for five-day tour

A leading orchestra from the Chinese mainland arrived in Taiwan on Monday for a five-day tour with classic works for the island's residents.

The 21-member troupe of the China Broadcasting National Orchestra, comprises renowned soloists such as virtuoso of traditional Chinese Banhu, Jiang Kemei and suona player Zhou Dongchao, who enjoy great popularity among folk music lovers across the Taiwan Strait.

From April 19 to 23, the mainland artists will hold concerts in Taoyuan,Taichung, Taipei, Hsinchu and Changhua in the island.

Each member will perform his or her classic works, said Zhang Gaoxiang, head of the orchestra.

"We rearranged the classics to highlight the uniqueness of traditional instruments and meanwhile embody contemporary language to adapt to the aesthetics of our era," he said at a press conference held in Taipei.

According to Gao, there has been close exchange in folk music across the Strait. Since the end of 1980s, many students from Taiwan have come to the mainland to study folk music.

"The Chinese folk music is the common cultural heritage for both sides of the Strait, which contains our cultural root," said Gao."The close exchange will push the flourishing of folk music."

"It will be an important show worthy of learning by folk music lovers in Taiwan," said Chen Tscheng-hsiung, a famous conductor in the island, at the conference. Enditem