The Central Philharmonic Society
中央乐团

The Central Philharmonic Society （中央乐团） was first established in 1956 in Beijing, based on the orchestra of the China Central Song and Dance Group （中央歌舞团）. It played the role of China’s de facto national symphony. With training by conductors from the Soviet Union, East Germany, and other Eastern European countries, the orchestra quickly developed a very high artistic level. In 1959, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the Central Philharmonic Society performed and recorded Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. During the cultural revolution, the orchestra mostly performed only Chinese musical works. After 1976, the Central Philharmonic Society resumed performing Western classical music and collaborated with a number of world-renowned musicians, including Isaac Stern, Yehudi Menuhin, Seiji Ozawa, etc. In 1996, the Central Philharmonic Society was renamed the China National Symphony.