The Forbidden City Chamber Orchestra (Chinese: 紫禁城室内乐团; pinyin: Zǐjìnchéng Shìnèi Yuètuán) is a chamber orchestra based in Beijing, China, which is composed of eleven classically trained musicians, who interpret elements of Chinese folk music. The intention of the group is to express the changes taking place in contemporary Chinese culture, through the sounds of ancient instruments. It has participated in important national and international music events held in Brisbane, Canberra, Wellington, Christchurch. History and organization The Forbidden City Chamber Orchestra was jointly created by pipa player Yang Jing and ten musicians dedicated to traditional instruments. These are graduates of Beijing music schools such as Central Conservatory of Music and the China Music Conservatory. Their repertoire includes folk love songs, songs of sorrow, songs that describe China's landscapes and recited passages. Traditional instruments include the huqin and erhu which are similar to the viola and violin, the sanxian, percussion instruments, flutes and voices. It has participated in important national and international music events held in Brisbane, Canberra, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin and Auckland under the auspices of the “Oriental Express”, a foreign exchange project of the Ministry of Culture. Programs The repertoire is divided into two programs. One consists of chamber orchestra pieces, both traditional and newer, and the other is a collection of poetry and readings, punctuated with sounds of traditional instruments. The programs include each one nine pieces, most of them ancient melodies that also try to express the reflection of life. One of the pieces is Han Ya Xi Shui (Jackdaws Playing in the Water), a traditional Teochew piece that evokes a scene of a group of birds playing in the water on a cold day. It is a metaphor of the optimistic persons in spite of the life's problems. Another one is An Xiang (Subtle Fragrance) by the Southern Song Dynasty poet-composer Jiang Kui, They also play The Moon, which is a classic traditional piece created in the 20th century. This composition tries to take the audience into a calm and cold night. Musicians The Forbidden City Chamber Orchestra is composed of eleven classically trained musicians, which interpret elements of Chinese folk music. Yang Jing is the director and founder of NPFCO, Yang is a professor and tutor of masters students at the China Music Conservatory, and one of the most famous pipa virtuosos in China. Liu Shun is the music director and conductor of the New Purple