Tan Lihua
Music Director & Principal Conductor of the Beijing Symphony Orchestra

Highly sought after and widely respected conductor of the Chinese music scene, Tan Lihua is in great demand both at home and abroad. Maestro Tan has been invited to conduct the Russian State Academic Symphony Orchestra, the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. As a guest conductor, Tan Lihua has had numerous successful co-operations with many well-known orchestras in Russia, United States, Germany, France, Italy, Canada, Switzerland, Israel, Spain, Australia, Argentina, Mexico, Colombia, and Panama. Enthusiastic about making music in his own country, Maestro Tan has also conducted the China National Symphony Orchestra, the China Philharmonic Orchestra, the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra and virtually all of China’s domestic famous orchestras. Due to his precise and meaningful interpretation of music, Tan was invited as the Guest Conductor of the Russian State Academic Symphony Orchestra from 2000 to 2001.

Tan Lihua is the music director and principal conductor of the Beijing Symphony Orchestra. Maestro Tan is also the deputy chairman of the Chinese Musicians Association, the director of the Performance Art Committee of the Chinese Musicians Association, the chairman of the Beijing Musicians Association and the deputy director of the Performance Art Committee of the National Grand Theater. While he is an expert on music of Chinese composers, Maestro Tan also has a keen interest and deep understanding of the music of western composers. He has debuted hundreds of new works of Chinese composers to audiences both in China, and throughout the world. In addition to introducing Chinese works, Tan has also been responsible for the premieres of several important foreign works to the Chinese public. Those works include: Dvorak’s Symphony No. 7, Respighi’s symphonic poem “Pina di Roma”, and Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 5.

In 2001, 2003 and 2006, Tan led the Beijing Symphony Orchestra on three successful European tours, which aroused a stir on the continent. Austrian news said: “in the famous Bruckner concert hall in Linz, Tan shows his mature skill and the full understanding for western music. It leaves the audience in Linz a great and extraordinary impression with the correct expression and the proper lead for the orchestra.” From a review out of Rosenheim, Germany: “Tan Lihua, the principal conductor, has a style filled with deep reverence. He conducting is a blend of Eastern and Italian styles, technically outstanding, and profoundly emotional.” KARLSRUHE said this about Tan’s conducting: “With his precise gesture, Tan made everybody acknowledge the connotation of every detail.” The Boblingen Daily pointed out: “Tan used his ease and grace, exquisite and powerful gesture to fully expand his interpretations of Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5.” The Wolfsburg Times commented: “Tan has conducted Berlioz’s Fantastic Symphony in a whole new way. He performed it to be a five-movement play. It showed exquisitely the longing, suspicion, hate and sneer for love…” Tan Lihua was dubbed the “Mandarin Maestro from Beijing, China.” Of his skills as a conductor, the American review said, “He conducts with a high level of skill and influential artistic charm.”

Starting in 1997, Tan Lihua began to take part in the planning and promotion of the New Year’s Concerts in Beijing. These concerts have become one of the indispensable art activities during every New Year in Beijing. Maestro Tan is the only person to who has acted as both the music consultant and conductor for the New Year’s Concerts in Beijing.

As one of the most active and influential conductors of the Chinese music scene, Tan has presented over 1,000 performances across China. In order to popularize the symphony to China’s younger generation, each year, Tan conducts a number of easily accessible symphonies and orchestral showpieces for students in many universities and high schools. To date, Tan has made more than forty recordings and hundreds of movie and TV scores. Recently released CDs include recordings of Brahms’ Symphony No.4, Dvorak’s Symphony No.8, Beethoven’s Symphony No.5 and Sibelius’ Symphony No.5. The most remarkable two CDs are released by the world known - EMI records LTD. in 2007. The programs include Bartok – Concerto for Orchestra, Bao Yuankai – Symphony “Peking Opera” and Tang Jianping – Percussion Concerto “Sacred Fire 2008”. It is the first time and an epoch-making thing that EMI records LTD. ’s world release cooperates with the Chinese conductor and the Chinese symphony orchestra.