COMPOSER ORCHESTRATES BRUCKNER'S APPEAL

Under the baton of Lyu Jia, Austrian's music becomes a pioneering mission of human emotion and spiritual grandeur, Chen Nan reports.

For conductor Lyu Jia, the music of Austrian composer Anton Bruckner is more than just a series of symphonic works — it is a journey into the depths of human emotion and spiritual grandeur.

As the music director of the China NCPA Orchestra, Lyu has been exploring Bruckner's monumental symphonies over the years, which have become a defining chapter in his artistic career. Under his baton, the orchestra has embarked on a pioneering mission to record the composer's complete symphonies, culminating in the release of Bruckner Symphonies Nos 1 to 9, marking a major milestone in the orchestra's history.

This release, which spans the composer's symphonic masterworks, is the first of its kind — a Chinese symphony orchestra led by one conductor in the complete recording of Bruckner's symphonies. It was announced on Dec 22 last year, when the National Centre for the Performing Arts celebrated its 17th birthday.