Ganjiang Moye Fantasia, a symphony performed by the Suzhou Chinese Orchestra, along with two other Chinese folk orchestral music works, won support from China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism, local media recently reported.
The symphony, created by renowned composer Zhang Chao, is based on a Suzhou folktale about a swordsmith named Ganjiang and his wife Moye.
The composition consists of four movements, namely, Vow, Snow on Mountain, Raging Fire, and Nirvana, and tells the moving story of Ganjiang's son, who seeks to avenge his father after learning that he and his wife were killed by emperor Wu after casting two swords for him.
Founded in December 2017, the Suzhou Chinese Orchestra is dedicated to promoting traditional Chinese culture by integrating Chinese folk music into orchestral performances, and reinterpreting and expressing traditional Chinese music through symphony.
According to a spokesman for the Suzhou orchestra, the orchestra has invited renowned composers to visit Suzhou, aiming to inspire them to create more music based on the city's history, culture and daily life.
The Ministry of Culture and Tourism launched the support program in 2018 with the aim of cultivating more outstanding musical works and musicians as well as promoting the development of the music industry in China.
The Suzhou Chinese Orchestra performs Ganjiang Moye Fantasia at the National Center for the Performing Arts of China in Beijing on June 13. [Photo/WeChat account: snd-szgxqfb]
