A leading Chinese symphony orchestra returned to the U.S. city of New York on Friday night after a COVID-induced hiatus and won the hearts of over 1,000 audience members with their world premiere compositions.

Conducted by Lin Chen, the performance marked the return of the Beijing-based Central Conservatory of Music Symphony Orchestra (CCOM Symphony Orchestra) to Carnegie Hall following its previous performance at the prestigious venue in 2019.

The performance took place at a very opportune time, just on the heels of the American Thanksgiving holiday and the recent meeting between the Chinese and U.S. presidents in San Francisco, said Qin Wenchen, vice president of CCOM and a renowned composer.

"Music is one of the greatest achievements of mankind's intelligence. It can represent the height of a country's civilization. This concert embodies the best of contemporary Chinese music compositions. The Central Conservatory of Music is home to some of the most talented musicians in China, and I believe that the quality of today's performance will indeed be one of the finest," Qin said.

Full of Chinese cultural elements, the musical pieces combined traditional Chinese instruments with a symphony orchestra setting, and Chinese musical elements with Western techniques of composition.

A Chinese guzheng and bamboo flute were featured alongside a harp and other classical Western instruments in the performance, with several pieces based on Chinese poems and the traditional Chinese philosophical work Tao Te Ching.

The two-hour-plus performance on the night of "Black Friday" attracted over 1,000 people from various walks of life.