The curtain was raised Friday on the biennial China Orchestra Festival at the National Center for the Performing Arts (NCPA), with nine domestic symphony orchestras to present 35 classical and new Chinese symphonic works.

The 23-day festival, the sixth since its inception in 2008, is themed "Ode to the 40th Anniversary of Reform and Opening-up." This year is the 40th anniversary of reform and opening-up.

In the past decade, more than 40 domestic symphony orchestras have appeared at the NCPA , staging nearly 100 concerts featuring Chinese symphonies.

The event will feature the Yunnan Capriccio, Hani Impression and A Wonder of Naxi emphasizing the folk customs of ethnic minorities.

Symphonic melodies of Beijing Charm, Yanhuang Style, Song of the Prairie and Fisherman's Song on the South China Sea will depict the rivers and mountains across China.

Peking Opera Symphony, Commune Drama, Jiang Tcheng Tse and other works integrating poetry, drama, folk music and other traditional cultural essences.