- Visiting artists and ensembles including New York Philharmonic, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Alexandre Kantorow, Kent Nagano, Philharmonisches Staatsorchestra Hamburg and more
- Shanghai Symphony Orchestra perform the world premiere of Elliot Leung’s Tree, a new work commissioned by SSO and the Shanghai Botanical Garden
- 29 concerts across 13 days featuring a varied programme ranging from well-known classical works and brand-new works to jazz and Chinese and Japanese video game music
- Accessibility is at the core of the Festival, with 7 free concerts and a series of free talks and events
Shanghai Symphony Orchestra [SSO] has revealed the line-up for the 16th annual Music in the Summer Air Festival that they hold at Jaguar Shanghai Symphony Hall and around the city every July. The line-up features established artists and ensembles as well as up-and-coming talent, with a range of orchestral and chamber performances. The Festival also puts on free performances on its outdoor stage – the Urban Music Lawn – as well as events in other venues around Shanghai. The theme for MISA this year is To The Future, exploring sustainability and environment protection through talks, workshops and concerts. Contemporary artist Mi La has created an art installation in the shape of a tree, crafted from discarded household waste, which will be in the lobby of Jaguar Shanghai Symphony Hall throughout the Festival, and Elliot Leung has composed Tree, a new orchestral work co-commissioned by Shanghai Symphony Orchestra and Shanghai Botanical Garden.
Esa-Pekka Salonen and New York Philharmonic – a long-term collaborator of Shanghai Symphony – open the Festival with two concerts in the main concert hall, one of which will be with star pianist Alexandre Kantorow. Shanghai Symphony Orchestra perform the world premiere of Elliot Leung’s Tree and will be joined by Time For Three – a Grammy and Emmy-winning trio – for a performance of Kevin Puts’ Contact.
Main stage visiting ensembles include a cappella group SLIXS, the Philharmonisches Staatsorchestra Hamburg with conductor Kent Nagano and pianist Rafał Blechacz, and Flemish Baroque ensemble il Gardellino who perform an all-Bach programme with oboist Marcel Ponseele.
The Chamber Hall within the Jaguar Shanghai Symphony Hall hosts four chamber concerts, including a recital by saxophonist Kenta Saito in addition to performances by Ensemble Les Amis Shanghai and the Agnes Quartet.
Offering a platform for young and up-and-coming talent remains a crucial part of the MISA programme. Shanghai Symphony will host student performances by the Shanghai Student Chinese Orchestra, Shanghai Youth Philharmonic Orchestra and League, the Shanghai Youth Choir and Federation and MISA Students’ Ensemble.
The outdoors Urban Music Lawn offers an opportunity for audiences to experience world-class performances for free. This year’s Urban Music Lawn programme features seven concerts, starting with a jazz show by trombonist Robin Eubanks and saxophonist Antonio Hart. Other artists include trio Time For Three, the Mao Junhao Accordian Quartet, Xinyi Chinese Chamber Orchestra, Ningbo Symphony Orchestra and Shirley María Carranza’s Latin Project. The Shanghai Symphony Orchestra perform the closing concert of MISA on the Urban Music Lawn with Music Director Long Yu.
In addition to the events in and around the Jaguar Shanghai Symphony Hall, this year’s MISA Festival also features one event at the West Bund Grand Theatre where Shanghai Symphony Orchestra perform withconductor Joshua Tan and soloists Ivana Wong (vocal/piano) and Tsui Chin Hung (guitar).
Alongside the main MISA programme, Shanghai Symphony Orchestra hosts an ‘Across the City’ series of concerts, talks and events. This year will see two free events at the GATE M Dream Center, one by Shirley María Carranza who presents her Latin Project, and the other by Ensemble Accademia Ducale. More details of the MISA talks and events programme will be shared in due course.
JAGUAR SHANGHAI SYMPHONY HALL – CONCERT HALL
1 July 2025 | 19:30
MISA 2025 Opening Concert
Esa-Pekka Salonen, conductor
New York Philharmonic
Debussy: La Mer
Ravel: Suite from Ma Mère l’Oye (Mother Goose)
Berlioz: Symphonie fantastique, Op. 14
2 July 2025 | 19:30
Esa-Pekka Salonen, conductor
Alexandre Kantorow, piano
New York Philharmonic
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major, Op. 58
Beethoven: Symphony No. 3 in E-flat major, Op. 55 “Eroica”
3 July 2025 | 19:30
SLIXS A Capella Ensemble
Katharina Debus, mezzo-soprano
Michael Eimann, tenor
Leon Glauning, tenor
Thomas Piontek, tenor and vocal percussion
Konrad Zeiner, baritone
Karsten Müller, bass
Bach: “Variation No. 7”, from Goldberg Variations, BWV 988 (arr. Michael Eimann)
Bach: “Variation No. 1”, from Goldberg Variations, BWV 988 (arr. Michael Eimann)
Michael Eimann: “Tired with All These”
Michael Eimann: “Just You”
Michael Eimann: “SLIXS”
Janelle Monáe: “Make Me Feel” (arr. Michael Eimann)
Purcell: “Dido’s Lament” (arr. Michael Eimann)
Bach: “Allegro”, from Concerto in A minor, BWV 1041 (arr. Michael Eimann)
Nikka Costa: “Like a Feather” (arr. Michael Eimann)
Earle Hagen: “Harlem Nocturne” (arr. Michael Eimann)
Michael Eimann: “Le Dormeur du Val”
Bach: “Variation No. 4”, from Goldberg Variations, BWV 988 (arr. Michael Eimann)
Bach: “Variation No. 2”, from Goldberg Variations, BWV 988 (arr. Michael Eimann)
Bach: “Variation No. 18”, from Goldberg Variations, BWV 988 (arr. Michael Eimann)
Joni Mitchell: “A Case of You” (arr. Michael Eimann)
Michael Eimann: “Come On”
Rag’n’Bone Man: “Human” (arr. Michael Eimann)
5 July 2025 | 19:30
Time For Three
Charles Yang, violin
Nicolas Kendall, violin
Ranaan Meyer, double bass
Jin Yukuang, conductor
Shanghai Symphony Orchestra
John Adams: Short Ride in Fast Machine
Kevin Puts: Contact
Elliot Leung: Tree (Commissioned by Shanghai Symphony Orchestra and Shanghai Botanical Garden, world premiere)
7 July 2025 | 19:30
Kent Nagano, conductor
Rafał Blechacz, piano
Philharmonisches Staatsorchester Hamburg
Jörg Widmann: Con brio
Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 24 in C minor, KV 491
Beethoven: Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92
8 July 2025 | 19:30
Marcel Ponseele, oboe
Il Gardellino
Bach: Concerto for Two Violins in D minor, BWV 1043
Bach: “Sinfonia”, from Cantata Ich hatte viel Bekümmernis, BWV 21
Bach: Concerto for Flute, Violin and Harpsichord in A minor, BWV 1044
Bach: Concerto for Three Violins in D major, BWV 1064R
Bach: Concerto for Violin and Oboe in C minor, BWV 1060R
9 July 2025 | 10:00 / 19:00 | Dream Stage I
Shanghai Student Chinese Orchestra
Programme TBC
10 July 2025 | 10:30 / 19:00 | Dream Stage II
Shanghai Youth Philharmonic Orchestra and League
Programme TBC
12 July 2025 | 14:30 / 19:30 | Key Symphonic Concert Shanghai
Harmonic Symphony Orchestra
Programme to include Japanese animation and video game music
13 July 2025 | 10:30 / 19:00 | Dream Stage III
Shanghai Youth Choir and Federation Concert
Programme TBC
JAGUAR SHANGHAI SYMPHONY HALL – CHAMBER HALL
4 July 2025 | 19:45
Kenta Saito, saxophone
Kaoruko Igarashi, piano
Andy Scott: Three Letter Words
Roger Boutry: Divertimento
Debussy: L’isle joyeuse
Debussy: Première Rhapsody
Vincent David: Éveil de la toupie
Takashi Yoshimatsu: Fuzzy Bird Sonata
6 July 2025 | 19:45
Ensemble Les Amis Shanghai
Wu Shuting, violin
Min Ruofan, flute
Li Cong, clarinet
Peng Zhiqing, piano
Zou Hanjiao, harp
Ibert: Two Interludes for flute, viola and harp
Saint-Saëns: Fantaisie for violin and harp, Op. 124
Debussy: Sonata of flute, viola and harp, L. 137
Florent Schmitt: Sonatine en trio, Op. 85
Mendelssohn: Trio in C minor for violin, viola, and piano, MWV Q 3
Khachaturian: Trio for violin, clarinet and piano
9 July 2025 | 15:30 | Dream Stage I
Shanghai Student Chinese Orchestra
Programme TBC
10 July 2025 | 15:30 | Dream Stage II
Shanghai Youth Philharmonic Orchestra and League
Programme TBC
11 July 2025 | 19:45
Agnes Quartet
Ye Wu, first violin
Cristian-Paul Suvaiala, second violin
Mischa Pfeiffer, viola
Gundula Leitner, cello
Bach: Selections from Goldberg Variations, BWV 988
Villa-Lobos: String Quartet No. 5
Villa-Lobos: Bachianas Brasileiras No. 1
Villa-Lobos: String Quartet No. 1
Bach: Selections from Goldberg Variations
12 July 2025 | 19:45
MISA Students‘ Ensemble
Programme TBC
13 July 2025 | 15:30 | Dream Stage III
Shanghai Youth Choir and Federation Concert
Programme TBC
SHANGHAI URBAN MUSIC LAWN
5 July 2025 | 19:30 | Free event
Robin Eubanks, trombone
Antonio Hart, saxophone
Michael Compton, piano
Harrison Wardley, double bass
Charles Foldesh, drums
Robin Eubanks: Victory Dance
Robin Eubanks: Red, Black and Green Blues
Robin Eubanks: Matatape
Robin Eubanks: The Yearning
Antonio Hart: 91st Miracle
Antonio Hart: Black Children
Antonio Hart: Forward Motion
Antonio Hart: From Across the Ocean
Dizzy Gillespie: A Night In Tunisia
6 July 2025 | 19:30 | Free event
Time For Three
Charles Yang, violin
Nicolas Kendall, violin
Ranaan Meyer, double bass
Chaconne in Winter
Prey
Can’t Take My Eyes Off You
Vertigo
Philly Phunk
Hallelujah
This Life
Stand By Me
Csardas
9 July 2025 | 19:30 | Free event
Mao Junhao, accordion
He Shucong, violin
Zhu Xinyue, cello
Liu Muyu, piano
Wen Ziyang: Beethoven in China
Ravel: Suite from Ma Mère l’Oye (Mother Goose)Kodály: Duo for violin and cello, Op. 7 (3rd mvt.)
Arr. Hu Yao: Medley of Famous Chinese Music
Schnittke: Suite in the Old Style
Chen Xinruo: Abbandono Tango
Chen Xinruo: The City on the Clouds
10 July | 19:30 | Free event
Latin Project
Alvaro Cardenas, Jr., sax and vocal
Shirley María Carranza, vocalist
Dmitry Yatsulyak, trombone
Jose Luis Moreno, keyboard
Mateo Lopez Carvajal, bass
Alberto Tico Cardenas, piano
Toby Senior, congas
Pascal Naigom, drums
Programme TBC
11 July 2025 | 19:30 | Free event
Xinyi Chinese Chamber Orchestra
Shen Beiyi, ruan
Shi Wenqing, pipa
Li Zhiqing, huqin
Dai Shenghua, huqin
Zhao Mojia, guzheng
Chu Tian’ao, di/xiao
Shen Yirong, di/xiao
Chen Anqi, yangqin
Li Chengying, percussion
Programme TBC
12 July 2025 | 19:30 | Free event
Yu Ji, conductor
Ningbo Symphony Orchestra
Programme TBC
13 July 2025 | 19:30 | Free event
Long Yu, conductor
Shanghai Symphony Orchestra
Choir TBC
Programme TBC
MISA AT WEST BUND
8 July 2025 | 19:30 | West Bund Grand Theatre – Lyric Theatre
Joshua Tan, conductor
Ivana Wong, vocal and piano
Tsui Chin Hung, guitar
Shanghai Symphony Orchestra
Ivana Wong: The Missing Something
“Shattered”
“The Mind of a Picture” (arr. Tsui Chin Hung)
“Love and Kiwi” (arr. Tsui Chin Hung)
“Inner Child” (arr. Alex Fung)
“Every cloud has a silver lining” (arr. Alex Fung)
“White”