On August 3rd, the European tour of Ningbo Symphony Orchestra concluded triumphantly.
8月3日，宁波交响乐团欧洲巡演之旅圆满结束。
The orchestra traveled successively to Italy, Slovenia, and Austria from July 25th to August 3rd, delivering a series of musical feasts. This European tour was made under warm invitations from the Emilia Romagna Festival in Italy, the Ljubljana Festival in Slovenia, Carinthia Friends in Austria, and the China Musicians Association of Austria. Under the baton of Chinese conductor Yu Ji, the orchestra facilitated profound cultural exchange and mutual learning between China and Foreign countries. Through five performances blending Eastern and Western, as well as ancient and modern elements, a communication bridge was forged by connecting Ningbo with the world.
7月25日至8月3日期间，应意大利“艾米利亚·罗马涅艺术节”、斯洛文尼亚“卢布尔雅那艺术节”、奥地利克恩滕音乐之友协会和奥地利中国音乐家协会的盛情邀约，宁波交响乐团先后赶赴意大利、斯洛文尼亚、奥地利，献上一场跨越三个国家的音乐盛宴。由我国青年指挥家俞极执棒，乐团用五场中西合璧、古今交汇的演出，开展中外文化的深度交流与互鉴，搭建起宁波与世界沟通的桥梁。
According to Lu Xiangjuan, deputy director of the orchestra, the repertoire for this tour was meticulously curated, blending classical masterpieces from global traditions with exceptional Chinese traditional music. “Through this platform, we aspire to showcase Ningbo’s cultural narrative through music, promoting closer and more harmonious cultural exchanges among people from diverse backgrounds,” Lu remarked.
据宁波交响乐团副团长卢香娟介绍，本次巡演曲目经过精心挑选，既包含世界古典音乐的名作，也有中国优秀的民乐作品。“我们要借此契机，用音乐讲好宁波故事，让不同国家与文化背景的人们彼此亲近、和谐交流。”卢香娟表示。
This year coincided with the 700th anniversary of the passing of Marco Polo ― a famous Italian adventurer. To commemorate the great adventurer, this Ningbo-based “cultural ambassador” specially selected Marco Polo composed by Ennio Morricone for performance.
今年恰逢意大利著名冒险家马可·波罗逝世700周年。为纪念这位伟大的冒险家，宁波交响乐团特别选取了埃尼奥·莫里康内作曲的《马可·波罗》进行演绎。
In Italy and Slovenia, the orchestra also performed works such as Mendelssohn's Symphony No. 4 in A major and Tan Dun's Pipa Concerto. At three special concerts in Austria, they performed Beethoven's classic masterpiece, Symphony No. 7.
在意大利和斯洛文尼亚，乐团还演绎了门德尔松的《A大调第四交响曲》以及谭盾的《琵琶协奏曲》等曲目。在奥地利的三场专场音乐会上，乐团演绎了贝多芬的《第七交响曲》，在世界音乐之都奏响音乐大师的经典之作。
The performances have received high recognition from overseas audiences. Many veteran music fans in Italy described the concert at Teatro Diego Fabbri of Forlì as highly innovative with remarkably talented and youthful musicians. In Slovenia, admiration can be found in an excited audience’s exclamations, “It’s incredibly innovative and impressive! The pipa, an instrument I’ve only heard in the background music of Chinese restaurants, was amazing in this piece. It was so cool, just like rock music.”
演出收获了海外观众的高度肯定。意大利当地不少资深乐迷在接受采访时表示：“这是一场非常有新意的音乐会，音乐家们都很年轻，很出色，今晚非常成功。” 在斯洛文尼亚演出时，有位观众激动地赞叹道：“非常新颖，非常棒！这个新奇的乐器琵琶原来只在中国餐厅的背景音乐里听到过，这个作品非常的酷，就好像摇滚乐一样，很震撼！”
Chinese Ambassador to Slovenia Wang Shunqing remarked after attending the concert, “Ningbo Symphony Orchestra’s performance in Slovenia featured both classical masterpieces from around the world and outstanding Chinese traditional music, presenting a harmonious blend of East and West. This cultural feast not only enriched the festival’s program but also added new highlights to cultural exchanges between our two countries. Through music, a universal language, the concert promoted mutual learning between Chinese and European civilizations, strengthened emotional bonds between the peoples of China and Slovenia, and contributed to advancing the global civilization initiative and building a community with a shared future for humanity.”
中国驻斯洛文尼亚大使王顺卿出席并观摩了音乐会。他表示：“宁波交响乐团此次受邀来斯洛文尼亚演出，既有世界古典音乐名作，又有中国优秀民乐作品，奉献了一场中西合璧的视听文化盛宴，不仅丰富了艺术节的内容，也为两国文化交流增添了新的亮点。同时，通过音乐这一超越语言的交流方式，促进了中欧文明互鉴，拉紧了中斯两国人民的情感纽带，为践行全球文明倡议、构建人类命运共同体作出了贡献。”
In recent years, Ningbo has actively advocated its cultural charm on the global stage to showcase its rich cultural heritage and strong urban comprehensive strength. The Ningbo Symphony Orchestra has been participating in international cultural exchange activities since its establishment in December 2015, performing in countries such as South Korea, Bulgaria, Poland, and Italy. This young orchestra has emerged as a prestigious symbol of Ningbo’s urban culture.
宁波近年来积极推动“文化出海”，向世界展示宁波丰富的人文底蕴和雄厚的城市综合实力。宁波交响乐团自2015年12月成立以来，积极参与对外文化交流活动，先后赴韩国、保加利亚、波兰、意大利等国家演出，这支年轻的乐团成为宁波城市文化的一张金名片。
Journalist: Shi Daiwei
Correspondent: Bi Qiuying
Translators: Xie Nong (intern),
Pan Wenjie
Proofreaders: Zhang Dongjing,
Huang Dawang, Fan Naxi,
Jason Mowbray