Festival Waltz 2026 brings together Lü Jia and his NCPA Orchestra for an evening dedicated to dance-inspired orchestral music, where the waltz becomes a unifying thread across cultures, styles, and historical periods. The programme unfolds as a festive journey, moving fluently between elegance, popular tradition, and symphonic brilliance.

From the celebratory spirit of Li Huanzhi’s Spring Festival Overture to the refined charm of Weber’s Invitation to the Dance and the operatic allure of Gounod’s waltz from Faust, the concert traces the evolution of dance music in the orchestral repertoire. The unmistakable Viennese character of Johann Strauss II is explored through a sequence of waltzes and polkas, revealing both lyrical grace and sparkling virtuosity, while Tchaikovsky’s Danse des mirlitons adds a touch of balletic fantasy.

The programme further expands its horizons with Eduard Strauss, Manuel de Falla, Ottorino Respighi, and contemporary Chinese composers Du Mingxin and Huang Ruo, alongside a Xinjiang folk song arrangement by Julian Yu.

Program:
- L. Huanzhi, Spring Festival Overture
- C. M. von Weber, Invitation to the Dance, Op. 65
- C. Gounod, Faust, Act II: Waltz
- J. Strauss II, Rosen aus dem Süden, Waltz, Op. 388
- J. Strauss II, Annen Polka, Op. 117
- J. Strauss II, Vergnügungszug (Pleasure Train Polka), Op. 281
- P. I. Tchaikovsky, Danse des mirlitons (from The Nutcracker Suite No. 1, Op. 71a)
- E. Strauss, Carmen Quadrille, Op. 134
- M. de Falla, The Final Dance (from El sombrero de tres picos)
- D. Mingxin, Waltz of Youth
- Xinjiang Folk Song, Mayila (from Four Xinjiang Folk Songs), arr. Julian Yu
- O. Respighi, Tarantella (from La Boutique Fantasque Suite, P. 120)
- H. Ruo, The Girl from the Da Ban City

Ph © Niu Xiaobei