Orchestra bridges social distance with fans via online shows

"The online concerts are timely, as the fight against the virus is critical and we all need an optimistic spirit to defeat the enemy," says Gu Xiaojin, a music critic in Shenzhen. "The music encourages us to focus on good things."

As the co-initiator of the online concerts, Ximalaya made several minor adjustments as a result of the domestic epidemic situation. On Feb 20, the platform launched a video of Chinese and foreign musicians of the orchestra giving their best wishes to Wuhan, the then epicenter of the outbreak in China.

"My beautiful China, I love you so much, cheer up," Armenian lead cellist, Karen Kocharyan, says to camera in Chinese.

Since the sixth concert on March 18, the platform presented a "Listening Test" link to invite listeners to participate in an interactive quiz, answering questions about each piece of music, aiming to increase the engagement with the audience.

"We want to make the online concerts an audible, educational and playable music album," says Deng Ziqiang, chief executive of Ximalaya in Shenzhen.

"During the extraordinary time locked down at home, online concerts touch us more than usual," says a Shenzhen resident surnamed Li.

"My daughter has been learning violin for eight years and she teaches me how to enjoy the symphonies while we listen to the online concerts."

The first season of the weekly online concerts ended on April 17. With their spirit of honoring heroes and consoling anxious souls, the concerts racked up a cumulative 2.45 million listens on Ximalaya.

On May 8, the second season of virtual concerts kicked off, featuring Tan Dun, the famous Chinese conductor and composer, with his original symphony－Organic Music Trilogy of Water, Paper and Ceramic.

Tan also gave a special speech, during which he stated: "Music is always the bridge to the soul. We are proud of the Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra, which is also an excellent advert for Shenzhen's culture, art and classical music. Let us be good friends through music in the cloud."

The orchestra has also launched "Music Talk", a series of lectures hosted by the orchestra's different musicians, on the platform which started streaming on May 8.

Nie Bing, the director of the orchestra, says that there will be more online concerts and shows coming down the pike, as the virus cannot separate the orchestra from its audience.