"I've had so many engagements canceled this year," he says. "Can you imagine that, since March, musicians around the world lost their jobs all at once? No concerts, no operas, no theater. This has never happened before," he says.

Despite the crisis, SSO continued operating, hosting online concerts, giving masterclasses through videos and making many adjustments to upcoming programs.

"During the epidemic, even though concert halls were not in use, we were busy working from home. There were many online conferences where we discussed preparations for the reopening of the orchestra and the 2023 program," he says.

The upcoming MISA festival will consist of 17 shows that will take place at the Shanghai Symphony Hall and the Shanghai Urban Music Lawn, an open-air venue by the Shanghai Concert Hall.

Artists attending the upcoming festival include such singer-songwriters as Gong Linna, Li Quan, Huo Zun, Zhang Xiongguan and the founder of the Rainbow Chamber Chorus, Jin Chengzhi.