The Shanghai Symphony Orchestra performs at the Shanghai Symphony Hall on Friday. Photo: Courtesy of the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra

On Friday night, Zhou Tian, the Grammy-nominated Chinese-American composer, debuted his new piece, Gift, at the Shanghai Symphony Hall.

 Zhou's performance with the orchestra on Friday not only marked the beginning of his term as Artist in Residence this season, but also kicked off the celebration season marking the orchestra's 140th anniversary.

In addition to the new commissioned work, the concert also featured Zhou's Cello Concerto Flowing Sleeves and Chinese composer Ding Shande's Long March Symphony.

Before the concert, audience also witnessed a new art installation unveiled at the entrance hall. Diwali features 300 balloons with the names of artists that the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra has worked with over the past years, including musician Daniel Barenboim and South Korean musician Chung Myung-whun. 

"The music of the Shanghai Public Band, the predecessor of the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, lit up people's lives after its establishment in 1879, just like the first electric light did that same year in Shanghai," Werk Design Studio, the studio behind Diwali, said. 

Over the following month, the orchestra will stage seven heavy-weight concerts including an October 5 concert featuring legendary diva Edita Gruberova as well as Riccardo Chailly and the Lucerne Festival Orchestra on the nights of October 15, 16 and 17.

To mark the 70th anniversary of the founding of the PRC, the orchestra has released an album compilation of its works.