“Thousand Reeds, One Universe” marks the grand opening of the orchestra’s 50th anniversary season and serves as the centrepiece of the 2026 International Sheng and Reeds Festival. This concert takes the ancient and vibrant sounds of reeds as threads weaving a symphonic map transcending geographical boundaries and civilisations.

The vibration of the reed is one of the oldest and most universal expressions of breath in the course of music history. From the robust tune-types of Northern Shanxi to the elegant tones of the Tang-dynasty sheng preserved in Japan’s Shosoin Repository, from the graceful melodies of the bamboo lusheng in the mountains of Guizhou and Guangxi to the southern charm of the Thai khaen, and even the fantastical improvisations of the Russian Jew’s harp, this concert presents a panorama of reed instruments across myriad cultures. Through the shared physical principle of vibration through air, different civilisations have developed their own artistic languages rooted in their native soil but resonating with others.

In the finale Breathing With The Universe, the conductor invites the audience to join in and hum together, the resultant tranquility infiltrating the orchestral texture. No longer an instrument to be played, the sheng becomes an active medium connecting all who inhale and exhale.

One reed, one world. A thousand shengs, one harmonious universe.