The Suzhou Symphony Orchestra (SZS) staged its “Dream of the Red Chamber: Resonance” at Suzhou Culture and Arts Centre, SIP on July 5, receiving a thunderous standing ovation.

The show, created to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the 1987 version of TV series “Dream of the Red Chamber”, became a sensation during the 4th Xinjiang Culture and Art Festival when it was staged at Urumqi Concert Hall. The Suzhou performance was an upgrade in orchestration, storyline, stage and interpretation of characters.

Highlights of the evening included the narration by Ouyang Fenqiang, who portrayed Jia Baoyu in the TV series and enriched the performance with his four-decade personal connection to the story, and the Erhu (a bowed two-stringed traditional Chinese instrument) solo by Zhu Changyao, which deeply captured the sorrow of Lin Daiyu (a protagonist in the drama) through a profound integration with the Western symphony.

July 5, 2026