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Orchestrating a boom

So, will China then be crowded with mediocre orchestras? The past three decades of reform are having an impact on these cultural institutions. More orchestras have adopted a mechanism that incorporates competition and inducements for top talent. And surprise, money does make a difference.

The picturesque city of Hangzhou, capital of entrepreneur-rich Zhejiang province, has a musical heritage that goes back to the South Song Dynasty (1127-1279), when the sound of zithers and arias soared over the legendary West Lake. The city wanted a modern symphony orchestra. In January last year, it started recruiting talent. Out of 600 applicants, they picked 76. On April 20, the new orchestra went into rehearsal. On July 20, it debuted with Beethoven's Ninth Symphony.

I didn't catch that one, but I did attend Tuesday's performance of Rachmaninoff's Symphony No 2. It was surprisingly good. It was not just the raw talent, but the youthful energy, that touched me. Rarely have I seen musicians on a Chinese stage who so obviously loved what they were doing. As Zhang Guoyong, a Shanghai-based conductor, put it: "Usually you can tell which players hate the conductor, which hate the president of the company, and which ones are in a hurry to go to their midnight gigs at cafes or hotels, where they can bring in extra cash". But at the brand-new Hangzhou Philharmonic, now resident in Hangzhou Grand Theater, musicians exude passion and, at the average age of 25, are good-looking too.