first of these was the Shanghai Chinese Orchestra. In 1953, the PRC government established a Chinese orchestra for the broadcast of Chinese music, the 35-member Central Broadcasting Station Orchestra in Beijing, which included some former members of the BCC Chinese Orchestra and is based on the earlier orchestras but with further changes. The tuning of the instruments was shifted to the equal-tempered tuning system, improvements were made to instruments, and further various newly created instruments based on traditional instruments, such as gehu, daruan, zhongsheng, were added to enhance the sound and range of the orchestra. Traditional pieces, as well as regional ensemble music were rearranged for a large orchestra. Peng Xiuwen, who became the conductor of the orchestra in 1956, adapted many pieces for the orchestra. Another significant orchestra was the Vanguard Chinese Folk Orchestra that added instruments such as liuqin, zhuihu, datongsheng, disuona, yunluo and paigu. By the 1960s, a largely standardized and modernized form of Chinese orchestra had emerged, although experimentation with the orchestra, compositions and instruments used continues to the present day. The modern Chinese orchestra has since become a cultural institution in China as well as Chinese communities outside of mainland China. Amateur Chinese orchestras are commonly found in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia where they may be organized by clan associations, community centres and schools, and some professional orchestras are also formed. For example, in Singapore the first amateur Chinese orchestra was formed in 1959, and its professional Singapore Chinese Orchestra was founded in 1974. Notation Whilst jianpu (Chinese numerical notation; 简谱) is sometimes used in the modern Chinese orchestra for Chinese instruments, standard notation (五线谱) is more commonly used throughout the entire orchestra. Modern Chinese orchestral works are often published in standard notation, both parts and full scores. Recent developments In September 2008, the 21st Century Chinese Orchestra Development Group (CO21) was formed by enthusiasts to gather support for the improvement of orchestra formation and instruments that have hindered the development of Chinese classical music. Suggested improvements included a change in orchestra layout, the use of staff notation and also modifications to existing instruments. Instruments in modern orchestra The modern Chinese orchestra typically consists of four main sections. These instruments are generally grouped according to the way they are played – the bowed strings (inclusive of the Western bass section), plucked strings, woodwinds and percussion. Many of the Chinese instruments are modified versions of