1. General Information
China NCPA Orchestra is the resident orchestra of the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), Beijing. Established in March 2010, the orchestra consists of highly accomplished musicians from around the world, who perform in more than a dozen opera productions presented by its home venue each year as well as in ballets and regular orchestral concerts in its own season. With a notably busy schedule, the young ensemble has fast established itself as one of the most adventurous and dynamic orchestras in the country.
The NCPA Orchestra demonstrates an abiding commitment to the highest levels of artistic excellence and takes pride in its long-term collaborations with the finest musicians of our time. Artists associated with the orchestra in the past two years have included Zubin Mehta, Valery Gergiev, Myung-Whun Chung, Christoph Eschenbach, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Yan Pascal Tortelier, Gunter Herbig, Leif Segerstam, Shao-Chia Lu, Muhai Tang, Xian Zhang, Gilbert Varga, Lang Lang, Stephen Kovacevich, Leo Nucci, Jian Wang, Gautier Capucon, Yuja Wang and Han-Na Chang, among many others. Maestro Lorin Maazel worked closely with the orchestra before his passing and praised the musicians for their “amazing professionalism and great passion in music”. After working with the orchestra in a series of concerts and the NCPA’s new production of La Traviata in June 2010. Maestro Christoph Eschenbach also declared it “one of the finest orchestras in Asia”.
In the first six years since its establishment, China NCPA Orchestra has become one of the leading ensembles in the country both on stage and in the pit, gaining critical acclaim for its performances in NCPA’s many opera productions. To date they have played for over 30 new productions, including not only classical repertoire works such as Tosca, The Barber of Seville, Die Fledermaus, Lohengrin, Aida, Otello, Nabucco, but also newly commissioned works The Chinese Orphan, Rickshaw Boy and The Visitor from the Ice Mountains. In its own orchestral concert season, the orchestra has consistently presented creative and diverse programmes, including 30 symphonic concerts that has gradually expanded repertoire of western classical works. In 2013, a remarkable Beethoven Project under the baton of LÜ Jia achieved great success. Their performance of the mammoth Ring without Words with its creator, Lorin Maazel, was released on SONY Classics worldwide, the only recording the great maestro ever made with a Chinese orchestra.
The NCPA Orchestra has flexed its wings on the international stage with high-profile touring work, receiving widespread international praise for its performances. From 2012 to 2015, the orchestra was invited by Kissingen Summer Music Festival and Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival, and made its German tour continued with concerts in Nürnberg, Hamburg and Berlin. It also gave performances in Sydney, Singapore, Seoul, Daegu, Taipei and Macau. During the 2014/15 season, the orchestra undertook its first North American tour, where it performed in 7 major cities in the US and Canada, under the baton of LÜ Jia. This was not only a milestone for this young ensemble, but also a breakthrough for any Chinese orchestra performing abroad. Musical America praised its “joyful confidence and youthful strength”. Concerto Net described it “a polished, first rate ensemble”.
The forthcoming 16/17 season will have 'Music Speaks' as its central theme, featuring concerts conducted by LÜ Jia, Myung-Whun Chung, Shao-Chia Lu, Claus Peter Flor, Pavel Kogan, Hannu Lintu, Muhai Tang, Yi Zhang, Biao Li, with soloists Kyung-Wha Chung, Gautier Capucon, Henning Kraggerud, Jian Wang, Man Wu, Haochen Zhang, Sa Chen, Li-Wei Qin, Tianwa Yang, Feng Ning, Wei Wu and many others. Renowned composer Qigang Chen and pianist Yuja Wang, both as this season's Artist-in-Residence, will lead a number of concerts as well as educational projects. The orchestra will also perform in fifteen NCPA opera productions including Tannhauser, Rusalka and War and Peace.
2. Audition
3. Vacancies
4. Requirement
1. Applicants should be of sound character and possess good professional ethics, performing experiences with a professional orchestra is required.
2. Able to rehearse and communicate with others in English.
5. Employment
1. Members in the China NCPA Orchestra are engaged under full-time contracts; Employment to commence based upon orchestra's arrangement and the successful applicant's availability.
2. Musicians shall play on their own instruments, while China NCPA Orchestra will bear a certain amount of the cost of consumables.
3. Apart from the subscription performances, musicians shall play in outreach / educational performances, chamber music concerts and recordings.
5. Application
• Please send following documents via email(ncpaorchestra@126.com) in advance,please put “Applied position + Name + Preferred audition location” in the subject field of the email.
1. Completed Application Form(Click to Download)
2. Copies of ID card / Passport, graduation certificates, diplomas, award certificates and other professional certificates (if any).
6. Audition
1. Solo Repertoire: Please refer to “List of Solo piece and orchestral experts”. (Click to Download). Content should be exactly as per requirements and set list. Please note that failure adhere to the requirements may result in disqualification.
2. Orchestral Excerpts: Please refer to “List of Solo piece and orchestral experts”.(Click to Download). For making request of listed excerpts, please send completed application form to (ncpaorchestra@126.com) in advance, excepts will be sent to qualified applicants via email.
The Audition Committee of China NCPA Orchestra reserves the right to reject any candidate it deems unsuitable. All information pertains to the auditions will be sent by e-mail to the applicants.
7. Contact Information
Miss Liu & Miss Luo,
Orchestra Recruitment Office
China National Centre for the Performing Arts
No.2, West Chang'an Avenue, Xicheng District,
Beijing, P. R. China 100031
Tel: +86 - 10- 6655 0618
Fax: +86 - 10 - 6655 0519
Email: ncpaorchestra@126.com
