Principal conductor Bernard Haitink will lead the Chicago Symphony Orchestra on a concert tour of Beijing on February 13 and 14. Showcasing the music of Mahler, Haydn and Bruckner, this tour marks both the orchestra's and Haitink's debut performance in the Chinese mainland.

Principal conductor Bernard Haitink conducts the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in a file photo. [File Photo: plcsky.com]

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra led by its principal conductor Bernard Haitink will give two performances at the National Center for the Performing Arts, with the music of Mahler on February 13 and the Haydn and Bruckner program on February 14.

Bernard Haitink is one of today's most celebrated conductors. He has been a conductor for more than five decades.

As for the musical pieces selected for their Beijing performance tour, he explains: "For the go-on tour, we mostly used the repertoire we have built during the last two seasons, because there is not enough time to rehearse during our tour. And we also want to present the orchestra in the best possible way, and the piece that we have played several times, and let everybody feel at home. So that is the reason Mahler Sixth will be one of the pieces performed on this tour."

Founded in 1891, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra is consistently hailed as one of today's leading orchestras. In collaboration with preeminent conductors and guest artists on the international music scene, the CSO performs over 130 concerts each year. Bernard Haitink speaks highly of the orchestra.

"For me it is a highly committed ensemble (that is) highly disciplined. They just make good music, that's why I enjoy to work (working) with these people. I believe strongly in them, and I think they are one of the top orchestras in the world."

Dutch-born Bernard Haitink has led many of the world's top orchestras, including 25 years at the helm of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam as its music director and frequent guest appearances with both the Berlin and Vienna philharmonic orchestras.

He is currently honorary conductor of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, conductor emeritus of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and an honorary member of the Berlin Philharmonic.

"I think classical music is here and will stay. I remember when I started a long time ago in 1960, people were forecasting that classical music would die. And now we are in 2009, classical music is still alive. And I think that is the future. Music will be there as long as there are orchestras, music is too important in human's lives to elapse."

Beijing is the last stop of the orchestra's 3-week, 5-city tour of Asia which began at the end of January. The current tour is scheduled to visit five cities - Yokohama, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing.

(CRI February 6, 2009)