On a late September evening in Beijing, the stage of the National Centre for the Performing Arts pulsed with anticipation. The China NCPA Orchestra, celebrating its 15th anniversary and fresh from a triumphant European tour, lifted the curtain on its 2025-26 season. The theme was telling: "Back to the Future". It was both a nod to the orchestra's remarkable journey since its founding in 2010 and a promise of what lies ahead.

The new season, which opened on Sept 19, brings together world-class musicians for 115 performances, including 37 opera shows across eight productions, 48 symphonic concerts in 30 programs, 22 chamber orchestra performances, and eight chamber ensemble concerts. For an ensemble that has already presented nearly 1,600 performances with more than 360 guest artists from around the globe, the milestone felt as much like a celebration of growth as it did a launch into the future.

Just weeks before, in August, the orchestra concluded a five-stop European tour, drawing near sold-out crowds and praise from critics across the continent — another sign of its rising global reputation.

The season opened with a celebratory concert led by the orchestra's music director Lyu Jia, featuring Richard Strauss' Don Juan and Also sprach Zarathustra. Artist-in-residence, sheng (one of the oldest Chinese wind instruments) virtuoso Wu Wei also joined the performance, presenting composer Huang Ruo's sheng concerto The Color Yellow.

The evening concluded with a touching surprise: the orchestra offered a specially arranged rendition of Happy Birthday for Lyu's 61st birthday, filling the concert hall with warmth, music, and applause.

"Over these 15 years, I have been fortunate to go along with the orchestra for 13 of them," says Lyu. "We have achieved fruitful results together and the 15 years is also a beautiful beginning since we have a long road ahead."

Looking forward, the 2025-26 program highlights the Dimension of Mozart series, part of worldwide ce