THE Chinese Traditional Orchestra, part of the China National Opera and Dance Drama Theatre, is heading to Canberra this month.

Conducted by the formidable musician Madame Hong Xia, vice-president of the Conducting Major Committee at the China Nationalities Orchestra Society, this ensemble, more than 50 years old, will be at Llewellyn Hall in late February to perform a mixture of symphonic music and traditional tunes from the Chinese opera repertoire.

According to spokesperson for the producers, Cindy Xin, the way in which these internationally-exposed musicians play on traditional instruments creates “points of contact between Chinese and Western music”.

Ms Xin, speaking by phone from Sydney, told “CityNews” that traditional Peking Opera music would  be prominent in the 90-minute performance, with the favourite opera tune “Deep in the Dark Night” one of the many high points likely to delight expatriate Chinese who love this art form.

Other features include “Great Capriccio” and “Spring Festival Overture”, the latter associated with the people of Shaanxi province.  There will also be folk music from Inner Mongolia and songs from a variety of ethnic minorities including the melodic “Daling,” a musical snapshot of the country’s Korean minority.

Bo Miao, Ms Xin says, is the principal musician, a master of the violin-like jinghu, known as the most important instrument for the Peking Opera. Other instruments in the varied program include the haunting, violin-like erhu, the large fiddle-like gao-hu, the lute-like lushing, oboe-like piri, zither-like kucheng, trumpet-like suona and the large Chinese drum.

The China National Opera and Dance Drama Theater, she says, has eight music, dance and opera troupes travelling the world every year, presenting different art forms. Last year, a 200-strong choir performed the “Yellow River Cantata” in Sydney Opera House, but this is the first time the Beijing-based orchestra, primarily made up of mature professional performers, has travelled to Australia, first visiting Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Hungary.

The intention is to create a “happy, warm atmosphere,” and in that light, she believes, “Butterfly Lovers Fantasia” will be especially pleasurable to classic music lovers of all kinds.

“Treasures of the Nation”, Chinese New Year concert, Llewellyn Hall, 7.30pm, Monday, February 22, bookings to ticketek.com.au or 132 849.