SZSO Announces 2026-27 Season: 18 Concerts for Its 10th Anniversary, Led by Zukerman and Flor

Suzhou Symphony Orchestra unveiled its 2026-27 season on August 3: 18 concerts, opening September 12, 2026 and closing July 10, 2027. The season marks the orchestra's tenth anniversary, led by Music Director Chen Xieyang and Chief Conductor Xu Zhong, and is organized in four strands — season concerts, a Masters series, chamber music, and one special production.

Opening night and the tenth anniversary

On September 12, Xu Zhong conducts the opening concert "Boundless" with baritone Wang Yunpeng, tenor Wang Zhixin and soprano Cao Yaqiong. The first half gathers Chinese works including Lü Qiming's Ode to the Red Flag; the second turns to overtures and arias from Bizet's Carmen, Verdi's La traviata and Rigoletto, and Rossini's Il barbiere di Siviglia.

The tenth-anniversary concert on November 18 hands the podium in turn to Xu Zhong, Zhu Qiyuan, Tan Lihua, Bian Zushan and Chen Xieyang. The program includes the third movement of Rachmaninoff's Second Symphony, the overture to Verdi's I vespri siciliani, Liszt's Les préludes, excerpts from The Red Detachment of Women, and Zhou Xianglin's Jinji Lake Overture, written for the city.

Zukerman, Flor, and one Chinese premiere

On October 30, Israeli violinist Pinchas Zukerman joins Xu Zhong for Mozart's Violin Concerto No. 3, K. 216, alongside Roussel's Fourth Symphony and Bartók's Concerto for Orchestra. It is the season's only date at Suzhou Shishan Grand Theatre.

On October 10, French composer-conductor Laurent Petitgirard conducts his own ballet for large orchestra, Journey to the West. On March 27, Luxembourg conductor David Daubenfeld makes his Chinese debut and, with Spanish guitarist Rafael Aguirre, gives the Chinese premiere of Brouwer's Guitar Concerto No. 4, "Toronto", paired with Rimsky-Korsakov's Capriccio espagnol and Sibelius's Second Symphony.

On June 19, German conductor Claus Peter Flor performs Mozart's Clarinet Concerto K. 622 with SZSO principal clarinet Matteo Tartaglia, followed by Brahms's Fourth Symphony. On May 15, German pianist Sebastian Knauer plays Beethoven's Third Piano Concerto before Xu Zhong conducts Mahler's Seventh Symphony — the season's largest program.

Chen Xieyang's four appearances

Music Director Chen Xieyang takes the podium four times. Beyond the anniversary concert, a Berlioz night on March 6 pairs the Roman Carnival and Benvenuto Cellini overtures with the Symphonie fantastique; April 24 brings Shostakovich's Hamlet Suite and Eleventh Symphony, "1905"; and the season closes July 10 with a Chinese symphonic program in which horn player Zeng Yun plays Shi Yongkang's horn concerto Commemoration, followed by Ding Shande's Long March Symphony.

Chamber music, Masters series and The Little Prince

The remaining season concerts: "Emperor" and "Eroica" on January 8, with Yu Lu conducting and Yuan Jie as soloist; Schumann's Fourth and Brahms's Third on April 17; and Li Biao conducting Falla, Bernstein and Ravel on June 5.

The Masters series runs to two dates: Aguirre's solo guitar recital on March 26, and Xu Zhong at the piano on May 8 for the Shostakovich and Franck piano quintets with guest strings. Two chamber programs are played by SZSO musicians themselves — a brass night on December 25 and strings and horn on April 10 — both priced at a flat ¥100. On May 29, Xu Zhong conducts Jean-Pascal Beintus's symphonic suite The Little Prince.

Tickets: a five-day early-bird window

The tenth-anniversary early-bird package went on sale August 3 at 20:00 and closes August 8 at 20:00. It covers any 10 concerts in the season from one fixed seat: the A tier drops from ¥4,000 to ¥2,800, the VIP tier from ¥6,000 to ¥3,800, with ten ¥10 vouchers thrown in (valid through July 10, 2027). A covers 14 dates at the ¥380 level plus two ¥480 upgrades; VIP covers 11 dates at ¥580 plus two ¥680 upgrades. Equivalent seats are held at Shishan Grand Theatre for the October 30 Zukerman date. Seats must be selected by October 31 or they are released.

Single tickets go on general sale after August 8 at 20:00, with discounts up to 25%. A separate multi-buy offer — 15% off for 3 concerts, 20% for 6, 25% for 9 — excludes the cheapest price tier and is sold only in person at the Suzhou Culture and Arts Centre box office.

Getting there from Shanghai

Shanghai to Suzhou is about 25 minutes by high-speed rail. Seventeen of the 18 concerts are at the Suzhou Culture and Arts Centre in Suzhou Industrial Park (15 in the Jinji Lake Concert Hall, 2 in the Grand Theatre). Only the October 30 Zukerman concert is at Shishan Grand Theatre in the high-tech district on the western side of the city — check the venue before you book. Minimum admission height is 1.3 m at Jinji Lake Concert Hall and 1.1 m at the Grand Theatre.

Browse all 18 concerts of the SZSO 2026-27 season on Shanghai Concerts

Programs and casts are subject to change.