The Shanghai Symphony Orchestra is the oldest symphony orchestra in China and is celebrating its 140th anniversary by opening a new chapter in its history. The SSO and its music director Long Yu recently became part of Deutsche Grammophon, releasing works by major Chinese composers on several albums. Gateways, the first album, will be released on June 28, 2019 and will feature 2 works by respected contemporary composer Qigang Chen (b. 1951). The violin concerto La Joie de la souffrance (2017) will be released as a world premiere recording and captivates with its richly tonal orchestral writing and charming melodicism. The dedicatee of this violin concerto is star violinist Maxim Vengerov, who takes on the demanding solo part. The suite Wu Xing (The Five Elements) deals with the five elements of Chinese tradition: water, wood, fire, earth and metal. Long Yu enthuses about the incredible imagination contained in this work. The program is complemented by Rachmaninov's lively Symphonic Dances and Fritz Kreisler's Tambourin chinois.