Poly Culture Group Brings World Renowned China Philharmonic Orchestra for Landmark Vancouver Performance

Star conductor Long Yu set to perform at UBC's Chan Centre for the Performing Arts on November 30, 2016

VANCOUVER, Aug. 8, 2016 /CNW/ - Poly Culture Group, China's largest art and culture company who manages the world's largest theatre chains and owns the world's third largest artwork auction house, will bring the globally renowned China Philharmonic Orchestra (CPO) to Vancouver's Chan Centre for the Performing Arts on November 30, 2016, in partnership with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, to commemorate the opening of Poly Culture Group's North American headquarter offices and flagship art gallery. 

The historic performance will be led by award-winning and internationally renowned conductor Long Yu, and will coincide with the grand opening of Poly Culture Group's North American headquarters, as well as the unveiling of Poly Culture North America's state-of-the-art gallery that will focus on Chinese art from antiquity to the modern day. With strong support and assistance from local communities, Poly Culture North America has made great progress in its first North American operations in Vancouver.

"As the gateway to the Pacific, we could not have picked a more perfect city than Vancouver for Poly Culture Group's first permanent investment in North America," said Poly Culture Group CEO, Jiang Yingchun. "The performance by the China Philharmonic Orchestra and the unveiling of Poly Culture North America's state-of-the-art gallery, will mark the start of a historic partnership between British Columbia and Poly Culture Group."

In December 2015, Premier Christy Clark witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with China's Poly Culture Group in Beijing to establish its North American headquarter offices in Vancouver. Poly Culture Group intends to use Vancouver as its base for expanding at least three lines of business, including art business and auction, cinema investment and management, as well as performance and theatre management, in order to facilitate two-way cultural exchanges between B.C. and China.

"I can't think of a better way to celebrate the grand opening of Poly Culture's North American headquarters in Vancouver than bringing the world-renowned China Philharmonic Orchestra," said British Columbia Premier Christy Clark. "Poly Culture Group's investment in British Columbia is not just offices, but a new medium for cultural exchange that will create jobs, add to our already rich multicultural arts scene and will further build on our strong cultural and business relationship with China."

"Since the establishment of our head office, we have received a very warm welcome from local communities and local offices", said Yi Chen, CEO of Poly Culture North America. "In return for the generous support from the local community, we are very pleased to be delivering a world-class cultural performance delivered by the China Philharmonic Orchestra, a classical group recently named with the prestigious title of 'Most Inspiring Orchestras' by Gramophone online. It is our goal to continue to enhance cultural ties between Canada and China as we continue our operations.

With more than 1,000 performances in its history, the China Philharmonic Orchestra is one of the most celebrated classical music groups in the world. Having performed around the globe including in Berlin, Rome, the United States, and at The Vatican in front of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI, their arrival in Vancouver will be the first stop on a North American Tour.

As the largest cultural institution west of Ontario, and Canada's third largest symphony orchestra, the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra (VSO) has a wide reach for promoting symphonic music throughout British Columbia and a long history of cultural exchanges, including a performance history with Maestro Long Yu, who has conducted the VSO at the Orpheum, and Serena Wang, as part of its Lunar New Year concert in 2014.

"The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra will be Poly Culture's presenting partner for the China Philharmonic's performance at the Chan Centre, and will act as their promotional and ticketing ambassador. It is a testament to our belief that both cultural and symphonic music exchanges are an important part of a dynamic city," said Kelly Tweeddale, President of the VSO and VSO School of Music. "We stand ready to welcome Poly Culture and the CPO to Canada through the presentation of great classical music."

"On behalf of the China Philharmonic Orchestra, I am honoured to perform for Poly Night at UBC's Chan Centre for the Performing Arts in Vancouver," said Maestro Long Yu. "Vancouver has a reputation as a world-class city and I can think of no better place to launch our 2016 North American tour."

Tickets for the concert are available at: vancouversymphony.ca/chinaphilharmonic

About Poly Culture Group
Poly Culture Group, a subsidiary of China Poly Group Corporation, is China's largest arts and cultural company. Poly Culture Group offers performance and theatre management, art business and auction, cinema investment and management, and plays a leading role in the Chinese market. Poly Culture Group's business also covers art education, cultural tourism, artwork, and finance.

About Poly Culture North America
Poly Culture North America has been established by Poly Culture Group to expand business across North America and to build cultural ties between China and Canada. Poly Gallery, located at 905 West Pender Street, will also open in November 2016.

About the CPO
The China Philharmonic Orchestra, established in 2000, has presented more than 1,000 performances, including concerts, operas, cantatas, incidental music, ballets, musicals, chamber music, film and television music, and in collaboration with Chinese cultural instruments. In the spring of 2009, the CPO was named Most Inspiring Orchestras by Gramophone online, joining the glittering array of ten fellow orchestras including Berliner Philharmoniker, London Symphony Orchestra. As one of the most distinguished Chinese conductors with an established international reputation, Maestro Long Yu is currently Artistic Director and Chief Conductor of the China Philharmonic Orchestra.

About the VSO
Founded in 1919, the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra is the largest performing arts organization west of Ontario and the third largest symphony orchestra in the country. The VSO performs to an annual audience of over 250,000 people through 150 concerts in the historic Orpheum Theatre and numerous additional venues throughout Metro Vancouver. 2016/17 will mark the organization's 98^th season. The VSO's Music Director is Maestro Bramwell Tovey, acknowledged around the world for his artistic depth and his charismatic personality on the podium.

SOURCE Poly Culture North America

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