The Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra, led by maestro Neeme Järvi, delivered an unforgettable concert at Beijing’s impressive National Centre for the Performing Arts. In one of the world’s most magnificent venues, the audience erupted into a ten-minute standing ovation for the Philharmonic musicians, following their remarkable performances of works by Verdi, Tchaikovsky, and Berlioz.

The Philharmonic’s third concert of their China tour was a resounding success at one of the world’s most distinguished music centers, also the largest in all of Asia. The Philharmonic’s century-long legacy shone brightly in the concert hall of the Beijing National Centre for the Performing Arts, accommodating 1800 attendees. The audience jumped to their feet, bidding farewell to the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra and conductor Neeme Järvi after delivering stunning renditions of Verdi’s La forza del destino overture, Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique, and young Giovanni Zanon’s captivating solo in Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto.

Similar to the previous concerts in Xi’an and Weifang, the Beijing audience refused to let the orchestra leave the stage until they performed not one, not two, but three encores. Symbolically bridging the cultures, the orchestra enchanted the audience by performing the beloved Chinese song My Homeland and the famous Swallow by Stevan Hristic. The evening concluded on a highly emotional and ceremonial note with Sibelius’ Andante festivo.

The magnificent National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing, built in 2007, represents a fusion of modern architecture and traditional Chinese culture. Its vision – For people, for art, and for the world – reflects its role as an exclusive space for the world’s most prominent orchestras, conductors, and soloists. Here, the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra stood alongside the greatest musical stars such as Gergiev and the Mariinsky Orchestra, Fischer with the Budapest Festival Orchestra, and Currentzis with the MusicAeterna ensemble, all regular participants in the venue’s concert season.

The concert in Beijing also served as a highlight of the prestigious International Orchestral Forum, gathering top managements of the world’s leading orchestras. The Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra’ was once again in the limelight as its program editors Asja Radonjic and Danica Maksimovic took part in a panel discussion on Cultivating Artistic Platforms for Extensive Collaboration alongside representatives from the New York Philharmonic, the Xi’an Orchestra and Choir, and the Berlin Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester, presenting the Philharmonic’s initiatives aimed at fostering strong regional and international collaboration.

Following the concert in Beijing, the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra will culminate its centennial tour with a performance in Shanghai’s Grand Theatre, scheduled for November 17.