COVID-19 has changed people's lives in 2020, and the BMF's program will factor that in.

The opening concert at Beijing's Poly Theater on Oct 10 will be devoted to the year. The BMF, China Philharmonic Orchestra and the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra jointly commissioned composer Zou Ye, a Wuhan native, to create Dedicated to 2020, a symphony for soprano, baritone, chorus and orchestra.

The Wuhan Philharmonic Orchestra, Beijing Symphony Orchestra and the China Philharmonic Orchestra will present the world premiere of the piece under the baton of Zou Ye. Other musicians from the city－soprano Zhang Liping, baritone He Leiming and members of the Wuhan Conservatory chorus－will take part in the concert.

"It's not only an honor for our orchestra to open the festival, but we would also like to express our thanks to those who helped Wuhan during the pandemic. We'll show our gratitude through the performance and tell everyone that Wuhan is safe, healthy and lively," says Zhang Shouzhong, director of the Wuhan Philharmonic Orchestra.

Zhang says the orchestra resumed rehearsals and gave online performances in May. On June 26, they dedicated the first live concert after the long break to doctors, nurses and volunteers in Wuhan.

This year is the 250th anniversary of Beethoven's birth. From Oct 10 to 20, fans can enjoy the great composer's five piano concertos, 10 violin sonatas and all nine symphonies either online or in person. On Oct 12,13 and 14, upcoming Chinese violinists, born in the 1990s and 2000s, will each play one of Beethoven's 10 violin sonatas at the Poly Theater.

The closing concert will be a late birthday gift to the China Philharmonic Orchestra that was established in May 2000. The celebration concert was postponed because of the pandemic. Yu, who is also musical director of the orchestra, invited five musicians born the same year as its foundation, to perform with the orchestra.

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