As one of Germany's leading orchestras, the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin (DSO) is to make its debut at National Centre for the Performing Arts on March 14.

Founded in 1946, the DSO was known until 1993 as the RIAS-Symphonie-Orchester and has existed through turbulent times, including the fall of the Berlin wall and the reunification of East and West.

The DSO has many big names, including Lorin Maazel, Riccardo Chailly, Vladimir Ashkenazy and Kent Nagano. In September 2007, Ingo Metzmacher became principal conductor and artistic director. His passion for the music of the 20th century will highlight the orchestra's Beijing concert.

German violin soloist Christian Tetzlaff (pictured) will stage Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto in E minor Op 64. Chinese Lu Wei, a graduate of the Central Conservatory of Music, greets audiences as a chief violinist. Lu took the position in DSO in 2004.

The DSO's Beijing concert will open with the prelude to Richard Wagner's three-act romantic opera Lohengrin, which is considered as one of the best to convey the feel of Western music. The concert ends with Beethoven's Symphony No 3.