The Beijing Music Festival, to begin on Oct 8, will have a unique program to mark its 20th anniversary. It will feature 29 performances, including three operas and children's concerts, lectures and masters-classes in three weeks. [Photo provided to China Daily]

"But it's very rare, actually, it's the first time to have all 9 of Beethoven's symphonies in a few days in Beijing," says Tu Song, BMF's Music Festival program director.

The other "large" program is an "Orchestral Marathon"－nine of China's orchestras, each conducted by their music director, performing in turn, for 10 hours from 10 am to 10 pm with a 2-hour break, on Oct 14.

Then, at the end of the day, selected musicians from each orchestra will form "The Beijing Music Festival Orchestra" to play Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture under the baton of Yu.

Speaking about the program, Li Nan, the deputy director of the China Philharmonic Orchestra, who has worked with Yu since the beginning of the BMF and the CPO, says: "It's an idea came to my mind some 20 years ago when we were just starting the festival.

"I bet that classical music is the genre that has developed the fastest in China in last two decades," says Li, adding: "In 1995, it took a China orchestra two months to rehearse Shostakovich's Symphony No 7. But now a Mahler piece only takes two to three hours.

"China has some 70 orchestras. And many have regular seasons, well-prepared programs and tour around the world.

"So, it is time to do such a 'festival orchestra' to let leading musicians sit together."