Last night Ashkenazy conducted the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra to play Debussy's "La Mer," Ravel's "La Valse" and Mozart's "Piano Concerto No 27 in B flat major," in which he was both piano soloist and conductor.

Tonight they will give another performance at the Poly Theatre. Czech composer Smetana's "Ma Vlast," which has never been performed completely in China before, is on the program.

"Every note of this work means a lot to every member of the orchestra," said Ashkenazy. "As a Slav I also feel quite close to the Czech nationalistic music."

This is the world-renowned pianist's fourth visit to China. He previously visited China in 1979, 1995 and 1998. His concert with the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra in 1979 was one of the first concerts to be held by a Western musician in China after the "cultural revolution" (1966-76).

Ashkenazy has won prizes at several competitions including the Chopin Competition in 1955, the Queen Elizabeth Competition in 1956 and the Tchaikovsky Competition in 1962. Building on the foundation of his studies at the Central School of Music and Moscow Conservatoire, Ashkenazy spent three decades touring the great musical centers of the world, performing an ever-growing repertoire in recitals and concertos and appearing with chamber music partners such as Itzhak Perlman, Pinchas Zukerman and Lynn Harrell.

During this time, he built up one of the largest and most comprehensive recording catalogues of our day, encompassing almost all of the major works of the piano repertoire.

Starting in the 1970s, he began focusing on conducting and has held positions over the years with the Philharmonia Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra and the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin.

In January 1998, Ashkenazy took up the position of chief conductor of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra. Since then he has devoted himself to a broad range of tours, recordings and special projects with the aim of focusing appropriate attention on this great orchestra with its rich and individual musical tradition.

"When I play as a pianist I'm alone, but when I perform as a conductor I have to communicate with the members of the orchestra, and through them to the public," Ashkenazy said.

Founded in 1896, the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra is an inextricable part of Czech consciousness.

In the first decades of the 20th century musical greats such as Mahler, Rachmaninoff, Grieg and Sarasate performed at the national orchestra's concerts.

The Czech Philharmonic Orchestra won world recognition with its combination of spontaneous musicality and technical excellence in addition to its own interpretive style.

"When we play 'Ma Vlast,' you will hear not only the music, but also our history," said Vaclav Riedlbauch, managing director of the orchestra.

(China Daily October /24/2001)