MUSIC

Marking the first United States appearance by a Chinese orchestra, the Central Symphony begins a 40-day tour next month with stops in New York, Washington, Chicago, Pasadena, Costa Mesa and San Francisco, the official Chinese news agency Xinhua said Wednesday. The 100-member ensemble, considered China’s most accomplished Western-style orchestra, will be led by head conductor Chen Zuohuang, 40, a graduate from China’s Central Conservatory of Music who earned a doctorate in music at the University of Michigan in 1985. The program is to include pieces by Shostakovich, Tchaikovsky and Verdi. Four concertos composed by Chinese musicians will also be featured. The orchestra appears at Ambassador Auditorium on Nov. 5 and in Orange County on Nov. 9.