In October, the Sydney Symphony Orchestra Fellows performed in Nanjing at the invitation of the Nanjing Municipal Bureau of Culture, Broadcasting, Television, Press and Publication. The SSO Fellows are 13 young artists who are mentored by orchestra members, rehearse and perform concerts with the orchestra, and participate in masterclasses with guest artists. The first international Fellows tour in SSO’s history, they performed two concerts as part of the 2018 Nanjing Art Festival.

SSO Fellows performing in Nanjing. Photo © Nanjing Municipal Bureau of Culture, Broadcasting, Television, Press and Publication

Led by their Artistic Director Roger Benedict, the Fellows showcased works from both countries in a nod to Australia’s continuing cultural relationship with China. Poignantly, they performed Miriama Young’s Time and Tide: Echoes of Sydney Harbour, commissioned for the Fellows through the assistance of Dr Janet Merewether. The work is dedicated to Dr Merewether’s late mother, Tempe Merewether, a long-time supporter of the Fellowship. As well as Time and Tide, the Fellows performed an arrangement of the popular Chinese folk song Jasmine Flower, joined by 10-year-old erhu player, Yujia Cai.

As well as performing, the Fellows worked with local young musicians as part of outreach workshops at...