Shanxi Province, China | Est. 1952
General Music Director Maestro Michael Koehler leads China's premier independent symphony orchestra, bridging German orchestral tradition with Chinese musical heritage.
Year Founded
Only professional symphony orchestra in Shanxi Province
First Chinese orchestra to tour Southeast Asia on invitation of the Ministry of Culture
Best Classical Original Award 2018 winner
Beethoven complete symphonies cycle 2016
About the Orchestra
The Shanxi Symphony Orchestra is one of the earliest established orchestras in modern China. According to the Shanxi Province Council, the orchestra is an independent professional symphony orchestra and the only professional symphony orchestra in the Shanxi province.
The orchestra maintains long-term cooperative relations with many famous musicians at home and abroad, and famous Chinese and foreign conductors including Li Delun, Huang Feili, Xu Xin, Bian Zushan, Chen Xieyang, Cao Ding, Yi Juanzi, Jiang Jinyi, and Elahiu von Erlenbach.
In 2016, the orchestra launched the only music season in China with Beethoven's symphonic works as the core, successfully staging all nine symphonies. On invitation of the Chinese Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it became the first Chinese symphony orchestra to travel to Thailand to participate in Southeast Asian cultural exchange performances. Xinhua News Agency, China Culture News, and People's Daily Online all gave reports and praises on that historic trip.
General Music Director
"The dark and warm sound of his orchestras, much praised today, has grown from the German tradition."
Michael Koehler is a most sought after conductor. As General Music Director of the Shanxi Symphony Orchestra, Maestro Koehler brings his deep-rooted German orchestral training to one of China's most storied ensembles, forging a distinctive sound that resonates across continents.
His innovativeness and music dedication enrich musical life, building long-lasting relations with both orchestras and audiences across Europe, Asia, and the Americas.
Recognition
The Symphonic Suite "Yellow River Mural" by Wang Xi Lin, performed by the Shanxi Symphony Orchestra under Maestro Koehler, won the "Best Classical Original Award 2018" - known as the Chinese Grammy - chosen among 36 award-winners including Chinese icon Lang Lang, from over 6,000 candidates.
Wang Xi Lin, Michael Koehler, Shanxi Symphony Orchestra
Composer Zhou Hongzheng commissioned his composition "Shanxi's Beautiful Scenery" to the orchestra, winning the Chinese National Art Fund's 2019 large-scale stage work competition. This nationwide project has accumulated rich artistic wealth to the orchestra.
Zhou Hongzheng, Shanxi Symphony Orchestra
The China Music Industry Committee Music Awards (CMIC) honors performers from a diverse range of music genres. Its jury comprises 101 members of the China Music Industry Committee. According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, China rose to seventh position globally in 2018, underscoring the significance of this recognition on the world stage.
Close Friends
Featured Composer
Chinese National-Level Composer
Wang Xilin is a Chinese national-level composer. The Chinese Icon Composer and Maestro Koehler are joined by a close friendship. Born in 1936 in Kaifeng, Henan Province, his family was originally based in Jishan, Shanxi.
During the Cultural Revolution, he was criticized publicly in struggle sessions, tortured, thrown into jail, and subject to brutal questioning. From 1971 to 1977, he was appointed as the conductor of Jindognan Troupe in Changzhi, Shanxi. Only then did he encounter contemporary composition techniques of influential Western composers such as Schoenberg, Stravinsky, and Penderecki, whose music had been banned from 1949 to 1976.
Wang taught himself serialism, minimalism, and cluster techniques, applying them alongside elements of Chinese regional operas. His music is considered to embody the vicissitudes and tragedies of China's contemporary history, making him the most unique and significant composer in China. Both Penderecki and Gubaidulina spoke highly of his music.
Compositions with opus numbers
Symphonies
National Composition Prize winner
Photography
Official Teaser
Wang Xi Lin, Michael Koehler, Shanxi Symphony Orchestra
Clean conducting with passion.
The best we have ever seen.
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Michael Koehler / Conductor
His musical persuasiveness results from detailed knowledge and intellectual conviction. Connect with Maestro Koehler for your next concert, opera production, or cultural exchange program.
