"I learned that the concert (Thursday's at the NCPA) is completely sold out. For other concerts, 80 or 90 percent of the tickets are sold," he adds.

According to Huw Davies, acting managing director of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, since Petrenko became the music director of the orchestra in 2021, he has been expanding repertories and working with the musicians to show the orchestra's quality.

"He is a true collaborator, encouraging and inspiring our musicians," says Davies.

It's been about seven years since the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra made its last tour in China, Davies notes.

"It is a tremendous honor for the orchestra to return to China after a long absence. Throughout its history, the orchestra has toured China and the seeds of partnerships have been planted with many of China's most prestigious and influential cultural institutions. We are excited by the possibilities that these partnerships present and look forward to establishing new ones, strengthening our cultural connections and bringing the joy of orchestral music to audiences across China," he says.

Last year, a new memorandum of understanding forging a closer partnership was signed between the orchestra and the NCPA. This collaboration will see Royal Philharmonic Orchestra musicians and staff members working in partnership with musicians from the NCPA's resident orchestra — the China NCPA Orchestra.

In 2004, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra performed in Shanghai to mark the reopening of the Shanghai Concert Hall. During the latest tour, the orchestra returned to mark the 20th anniversary of the Shanghai Concert Hall with two concerts on Saturday and Sunday.

"As audiences eagerly anticipate the resonant strains of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra under Petrenko's direction, this tour promises not just performances but an immersive journey of cultural fusion and artistic renewal, affirming music's timeless power to unite and inspire across borders," says Wray Armstrong, general manager of Poly Armstrong International Arts and Communication Co, also the founder and chairman of Armstrong Music and Arts, which Armstrong founded in 2009 in Beijing, bringing a number of the world's leading classical music artists to China and introducing top Chinese classical musicians to an international audience.

Following a partnership signing attended by the British Ambassador to China Caroline Wilson DCMG in Beijing in March last year, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra's visit to Beijing will mark the start of a multiyear collaboration with Beijing Poly Theatre Management Co designed to widen access to great orchestral music across China.

Contact the writer at chennan@chinadaily.com.cn