A Mid-Autumn journey along the Silk Road
Strolling Through Gansu — a National Symphony — opened with a celebratory prologue ('Ceremony') and the painted murals of Dunhuang ('Charming Flying Apsaras'), before moving through the herdsmen's songs of Inner Mongolia, the dance rhythms of Turpan, and the suona and erhu virtuosity that bind the Silk Road together.
Conducted by Zhang Zhao and led by concertmaster Zhang Tao, the programme closed on the iconic Blooming Flowers and Round Moon — the traditional Mid-Autumn melody that gives the festival its name. Co-presented by China Cultural Centre Sydney and the Department of Culture and Tourism of Gansu Province; the first Chinese performing-arts company to tour Sydney post-pandemic.
Gansu Song and Dance Theatre National Orchestra
The flagship national-orchestra of Gansu Province — a region whose history runs through Dunhuang and the heart of the ancient Silk Road.
Mid-Autumn Festival 2023
A celebration of the round-moon reunion, performed to nearly 1,000 guests at ~90% capacity — more than half non-Asian audience members.
Sydney Town Hall
One of the city's grand civic halls — the Centennial Hall organ above the stage and 2,000-seat capacity make it a fitting venue for a National Symphony.
Programme
A Silk Road in Sound
Saturday, 30 September 2023 · Sydney Town Hall · 85 minutes
About the Orchestra
The Gansu Song and Dance Theatre National Orchestra is the flagship national-orchestra of Gansu Province in northwestern China — a region whose cultural geography stretches across Dunhuang, the Hexi Corridor, and the heart of the ancient Silk Road.
Under conductor Zhang Zhao and led by concertmaster Zhang Tao, the orchestra's Sydney programme drew on the National Symphony Dunhuang, the suona traditions of the Yellow River loess, and the dance songs of Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia — finishing with the iconic Mid-Autumn melody Blooming Flowers and Round Moon.
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The Venue
Sydney Town Hall
Address
483 George St, Sydney NSW 2000
Capacity
~2,000 seats · Centennial Hall
Getting There
Town Hall Station, on-site
Accessibility
Fully accessible · hearing loops
Strolling Through Gansu
Dec 12, 2025 · 7:30 PM- Digital programme booklet
- Welcome drink (Premium & VIP)
- Pre-concert artist talk (VIP)
- Complimentary parking (VIP)
Gallery
Moments from the Stage
A glimpse of Strolling Through Gansu at Sydney Town Hall, 30 September 2023.