The pipa is a Chinese plucked string instrument that is considered the queen of Chinese traditional music. It appeared in the period of the Qin dynasty and developed during the Han dynasty, which means that musicians have been playing it for more than 2,000 years. Its repertoire covers both Chinese traditional music and works by contemporary composers that show both Chinese and Western influences. The latter category includes the colourful Concerto for String Orchestra and Pipa  by the Chinese-born American composer Tan Dun, the winner of an Academy Award for his film score for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,  who was also the conductor of the opening concerts of the 63rd Ljubljana Festival. The pipa will be at the heart of a programme that also includes music by Ennio Morricone from the television series Marco Polo  and Mendelssohn’s “Italian”  Symphony, performed by the Ningbo Symphony Orchestra. Founded in 2015, this ensemble has quickly become one of China’s leading orchestras, thanks to successful concerts of predominantly Romantic music both at home and in Europe. It will be led by its chief conductor Ji Yu, who is also an assistant conductor of the China Philharmonic Orchestra and a tireless promoter of contemporary Chinese music. The soloist will be Yuanchun Yu, a teacher of the pipa at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, who has appeared at some of the biggest concert halls in the world, including in New York and Berlin.