China National Traditional Orchestra
| China National Traditional Orchestra | |
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| Orchestra | |
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Official Logo
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| Native name | 中国中央民族乐团 |
| Short name | China National Orchestra |
| Former name | China Central Nationalities Orchestra, among many others |
| Location | Beijing, China |
| Concert hall | National Centre for the Performing Arts - Concert Hall, Beijing |
| Principal conductor | Liu Sha |
| Music director | Jiang Ying |
The China National Traditional Orchestra (CNTO) (Chinese: or ; also called China National Orchestra) is a 110-piece orchestra of traditional Chinese musical instruments with an accompanying folk choir. Founded in Beijing, China in 1960, the orchestra is a state-level (national) performing arts institution directly administered and endorsed by China's Ministry of Culture (MOC). Its mission is to promote and advance China’s musical heritage.CNTO is part of a cultural exchange program called Image China and the orchestra is managed by the China Arts and Entertainment Group (CAEG).
The China National Traditional Orchestra was founded by composer and conductor Li Huanzhi (1919-2000), the former chair of the Chinese Musicians' Association. CNTO's current president and producer is musician and ethnomusicologist Xi Qiang, who is a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference. In 1993, the orchestra founded Orchestra Asia, together with Ensemble Nipponia of Japan and the South Korean National Orchestra.
In the interest of promoting a larger view of Chinese culture, CNTO became the first Chinese orchestra known for combining music performance with other Chinese art forms, such as painting. Its 2015 concert tour Rediscover Chinese Music, was promoted as "a breathtaking multimedia experience" with storytelling, lighting and sound special effects, multimedia backdrops, and moving scenery.
The China National Traditional Orchestra has been known by several English names over the years, largely due to challenges with Chinese translation. The orchestra's Chinese name is pronounced in Chinese as Zhōngguó Zhōngyāng Mínzú Yuètuán, where Zhōngguó means "China," zhōngyāng means "central," and mínzú yuètuán means "ethnic nationalities" orchestra.
In English-speaking countries, the CNTO has been misidentified as other similarly named Chinese orchestras. The orchestra has also been referred to by different names within the same news article and in the orchestra's own promotional materials.
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Wikipedia