THE legendary German Brass will perform at the season opener of the Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra (SZSO) on Friday under the baton of its artistic director, Lin Daye, as well as at another chamber music concert tonight. Founded in 1974 by trombonist and composer Enrique Crespo as a brass quintet, German Brass expanded to include 10 performers in 1985, with the addition of trumpeter Matthias H?fs bringing new energy to the ensemble. The group has succeeded in creating diversity within unity by producing a unique collective sound featuring 10 renowned soloists from top-tier German orchestras. As an ensemble, they perform chamber music with symphonic grandeur and dynamics that only brass instrumentalists can deliver. Chamber Music concert The chamber concert programs of German Brass consist of arrangements of classical works, adaptations, and compositions of musical evergreens, most of which have been specially arranged and composed for the ensemble. Tonight’s program, which includes more than 10 pieces, pays tribute to the typical sound and technical brilliance of the ensemble. Audiences will have the opportunity to enjoy familiar works such as Bach’s “Sinfonia From Cantata, BWV 29,” a suite from his orchestral works, Verdi’s “The Force of Destiny Overture,” Liszt’s “Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2,” an excerpt from Leonard Bernstein’s musical “West Side Story,” a medley of George Gershwin hits, and the soundtrack “Gabriel’s Oboe” from the movie “The Mission,” among others. Time: 8 p.m., Sept. 4 Tickets: 50-480 yuan Booking: WeChat account “深圳濱海藝術中心” Venue: Bay Opera of Shenzhen, Bao’an District (深圳濱海藝術中心) Metro: Line 5 to Baohua Station (寶華站), Exit A SZSO season opener Under Lin’s baton, the opening concert of SZSO’s 2024-2025 music season will showcase the highly-anticipated world premiere of “Colors” by German composer and conductor, Wolf Kerschek. The piece will feature the renowned German Brass ensemble. Kerschek, a recipient of the Echo-Klassik Award and the Hamburg Jazz Award, skillfully blends Western and Oriental musical influences in this refreshingly dramatic composition. Composed to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the German Brass, this five-movement piece will have its Chinese premiere at Friday’s concert. In the second half of the concert, the audience will be treated to Tchaikovsky’s “Symphony No. 4 in F Minor, Op. 36,” intended by the composer as a portrayal of fate’s nature. Premiering in Moscow in February 1878, the symphony takes listeners on a journey from gloom to melancholy, then to a slow recovery and finally to life-affirming energy. Tchaikovsky concludes the symphony with his prescription for happiness: finding joy in the happiness of others. Time: 8 p.m., Sept. 6 Tickets: 50-880 yuan Booking: WeChat account “szyyt_piao” Venue: Shenzhen Concert Hall, Futian District (深圳音樂廳) Metro: Line 3 or 4 to Children’s Palace Station (少年宮站), Exit D (Li Dan) | 