Chinese baritone Shen Yang performs with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra in Beijinig on Sunday. Photo: Courtesy of BMF

After four years, the Mahler Chamber Orchestra will return to the stages at the Beijing Music Festival (BMF) for three concerts at the Poly Theater starting from Sunday, which also marks the start of the orchestra's three-year residency at BMF. 

The Sunday night concert conducted by Vladimir Ashkenzy and featuring Chinese baritone Shen Yang brought Beijing's audiences  Ralph Vaughan Williams' Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis and Dmitri Shostakovich's Chamber Symphony in C minor Op.110a and Two Pieces for String Octet op.11. 

According to the world's renowned chamber house, they will stage pieces from Gustav Mahler, Sergei Prokofiev as well as Chinese musicians such as Zhou Tian, Du Yun and Chen Qigang on the nights of Wednesday and Friday. 

The Beijing concerts mark the 82-year-old conductor's third time performing at BMF following concerts in 2001 and 2009. He said that each time during his stay in Beijing, he has enjoyed seeing the changes in the city and meeting the friendly people there. 

Zou Shuang, artistic director for BMF, said that it is very important for BMF to have the Mahler Chamber Orchestra as its partner for the residency project, which helps promote Chinese composers to the world.