Helmed by veteran conductor Chen Xieyang, the Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra (SZSO) will present Wagner’s prelude to “The Mastersingers of Nuremberg,” Navarro’s “Second Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra” and Shostakovich’s “Symphony No. 5 in D Minor, Op. 47” this Friday evening.

SZSO principal clarinetist Yi Cheng will play the solo part in the Chinese debut of Navarro’s work.

Wagner’s prelude to his light-hearted opera about some singers and their singing contest is a popular concert piece. It fully demonstrates the masterful handling of orchestral balance, color and virtuosity that has become the hallmarks of his compositional style.

Commissioned by the Valencia Music Institute, Navarro’s piece was written at the turn of the year 2012 and dedicated to clarinetist José Franch Ballester. In one movement with three clearly identifiable sections, the piece demonstrates a colorful tonal language with a rich orchestration.

The first section displays a cantabile style tinged with ethnic and new age music as well as elements of flamenco music. The second section, with a minimalist touch, exploits the technical and expressive possibilities of the clarinet, becoming at times very similar to the human voice. The last section is framed in a big dance where the clarinet dialogues with the orchestra.

A contemporary composer from Spain, Navarro began his music studies playing the clarinet and turned to study composition and conducting. A graduate of the University of Southern California majoring in composition for film and TV, he has won many awards, with works frequently performed at concerts.

Yi, a graduate of the Hanns Eisler School of Music Berlin, is also a guest professor at Shenzhen University and a Buffet Crampon artist.

While in Germany, he studied under Diethelm Kuhn, the clarinet principal of German Radio Symphony Orchestra and clarinet player Karl Leister. In 2003, he was appointed as the principal clarinetist of the German Berlin Radio Philharmonic Orchestra (RIAS), touring with the orchestra to many European cities. His appointment as SZSO principal clarinetist started in 2008. He plays on a Buffet Crampon Tosca clarinet.

In the second half of the concert, SZSO will perform the fifth symphony by Shostakovich, probably the most popular of the composer’s 15 symphonies in today’s concert halls.

With an apparent influence of Beethoven and Mahler, the piece is sometimes compared to Beethoven’s fifth symphony, known as “Fate.” The work is noted for the folk music traits in the jocular second movement, the virtuous string writing in the third and a triumphant ending in the fourth.

Conductor Chen is the music director of the Suzhou Symphony Orchestra and honorary music director of the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra.

Time: 8 p.m., May 21

Tickets: 50-880 yuan

Booking: WeChat account “szyyt_piao”

Venue: Shenzhen Concert Hall, Futian District (福田区深圳音乐厅)

Metro: Line 3 or 4 to Children’s Palace Station (少年宫站), Exit D(Li Dan)