During the second half, the orchestra played Franz Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody No 2 and Igor Stravinsky's The Firebird Suite (1919 version).

According to Jing, Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody No 2 was the highlight of the tour and was a display of the orchestra's youthful energy and vibrancy. "The romanticism and sensitivity of the young performers was particularly moving," she says.

"The most interesting piece we played was The Firebird Suite, which was also the hardest for me. The composition gradually builds in intensity, creating an atmosphere of anticipation. I also like its vibrant and colorful use of musical instruments," says 23-year-old Song Wanlin who plays the flute. Song joined the orchestra in 2015 and now studies at Hochschule fur Musik Franz Liszt Weimar (University of Music Franz Liszt Weimar).

As the final note of The Firebird Suite slowly faded, the audience at the Hungarian State Opera House erupted in prolonged and enthusiastic applause.

According to orchestra head Chen Zhimin, the Guangzhou Symphony Youth Orchestra has toured internationally since 2015, including Germany, France, Japan and Spain, and has left its mark on many of the world's prestigious musical events. Last year, the orchestra performed at the Verbier Festival in Switzerland. Before that, it gave commemorative concerts in Barcelona, Valencia and Madrid, to mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Spain.

Founded in July 2011, the Guangzhou Symphony Youth Orchestra was the first in China to be organized and administered by a professional orchestra — the Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra — which coaches its members, including those with and without backgrounds in music.

For its 10th anniversary in July 2021, the orchestra embarked on its first China tour. Though its members are young, they've worked with many accomplished musicians, among them conductor Yu Long, composer and conductor Tan Dun, cellist Yo-Yo Ma and pianist Chen Sa.

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