For Classical concert-goers

[Miya]

Classical concerts are one of the things that makes this city attractive. Yet apart from the hideously priced tours of some musicians, the regular concerts are not listed on douban.com where gochengdoo.com sources its events list. I’d like to share some info and my experience about classical concerts in Chengdu, information about upcoming concerts (besides Ria’s) can be posted here if there are people interested.

Sichuan Conservatory Symphony Orchestra is perhaps the best in terms of the capability of the players. The theme of this season is the violin (one cellist so far?). I’ve been to two performances so far, they were both excellent! This orchestra usually plays with some top-notch guest musicians, often plays less-heard pieces and has a well-behaved audience (which may be a welcome break to those used to the rowdy kids at some other classical concerts you see in Chengdu). One drawback is that tickets to see this orchestra are not available online and it’s always painful to talk to the short-tempered ticket seller at the gate of concert hall. Thanks to Ria, info about the concert and ticket could be seen here.
ticket price: 50 (only in legend), 80,100,120,150.

Sichuan Philharmonic Orchestra plays regularly; also on Fridays, but in Jiaozi Concert Hall on east first ring. It’s the best in communicating to an audience (survey after each concert), the tickets are astoundingly cheap, they’re sold after each concert and are also available on damai.cn. Usually the tickets go super quickly, the two december concerts were both sold out not long after tickets were released.They don’t have a theme through the season, the choice of programme is nonetheless (perhaps because of this) varied and interesting. Half of the audience are keen parents, some annoying kids (speaking, a sudden cry or chasing) are guaranteed to be heard in every concert. If you are not fastidious about occasional noise however, I’d say it’s much better value than many of concerts in Little Bar for an early Friday night out.
ticket price: 10, 20, 30

Sichuan Symphony Orchestra is one that I really want to like, but it seems indifferent to the concept of having an audience, its marketing promotion is quite terrible if not nonexistent (apart from specially sponsored concert). The only way that I could find out about SSO’s upcoming concerts is to check 228.com.cn every now and then, 228.com.cn is where its tickets online are exclusively sold, usually not long before the concert starts. Unlike damai.cn, 228.com.cn doesn’t provide a collecting service at the door, so one needs to leave enough time for its delivery (10yuan) or go to collect in their office in working hour. For most concerts you could get ticket at door before the concert starts since it’s not very likely to sold out. After a concert with new music director Barnaby Palmer from Belgium in October, it’s been away for two months. I was excited to find two concerts appeared silently on 228.com.cn earlier last week, and was the first one to buy a ticket. Even until just now, however, only 7 tickets have been sold for this Friday’s concert, 4 of which were to me. This is in fact the initial incentive for me to write this, because this is an orchestra that I wish to support and see more of, but sadly seem to not have the best self-preservation tactics.
Ticket price：20，40，60，80

Programme for 14th Dec,
Gounod – Faust
Haydn’s Symphony No. 99
Mendelssohn – The Fourth Symphony

Programme for 19th Dec,
Schubert’s Fifth Symphony
Mozart’s Symphony No. 38

I hope that through this post I can encourage others to go to classical concerts in Chengdu, though the orchestras are not comparable with those in Europe, i’ve never regret seeing any of their concerts (given its friendly price :P). People who’d like to go to classical concerts could add me on wechat ‘tanguera’.

Miya

[Ria]

Thanks Miya, such a long article of sharing your musical experience as a listener! And thank you guys  for supporting the classical music and the SCCMSO. As a double bassist, I’d like you guys can come and enjoy the classical music in Chengdu, even the standardize of the orchestras here are not comparable with those in European countries which I had played before. However, the SCCMSO will do its best next year and hope you can keep an eye on my updating details on Chengduliving forum.

Ria

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