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As some of you may know, I am engaged to a lovely Chinese lady who I hope to marry this summer.

My fiancé would quite like us to buy an apartment in China and maybe spend some time living there each year. I am enjoying being in China (have been over here the last month), and think it a good idea, EXCEPT I would miss playing tuba with ensemble, although it is nice to be able to play in the local People's park as lots of musicians do around here (I brought an old Amati F out with me to leave here as my tuba in China).

I would be interested to hear from anyone who knows what tuba playing opportunities there are in China? Are there any community bands, or orchestras? How would one even start looking for professional vacancies in Chinese orchestras? The written language barrier makes it very difficult. A web search has indicated that there is supposed to be an orchestra in my fiancé's home city Nanning, the Guangxi Symphony Orchestra, but in a month I have been unable to even find out about any concerts to go and listen despite my lady's help.

In the park I am really just practising - mostly playing studies and excerpts, but often get locals stop to listen and clap enthusiastically.

In the mornings, the park here is a riot of sound with people singing and playing - except for me, universally traditional Chinese music.

goodgigs wrote:The man in action there is Micky Wrobleski.

Thanks, I have dropped Micky an email in the hope of meeting up when I get to Beijing during another visit.