Largest reed instrument ensemble
- WHO
- Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra
- WHAT
- Number of reed instrument players performing simultaneously in one continuous piece of music. people
- WHERE
- Hong Kong SAR, China (Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China)
- WHEN
- 22 March 2026
The largest reed instrument ensemble consisted of 1,230 participants and was achieved by the International Sheng and Reeds Festival, organised by Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra (China) at Kai Tak Sports Park in Hong Kong SAR, China, on 22 March 2026
The Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra successfully united 1,230 performers playing the sheng, lusheng, hulusheng, hulusi, harmonica, and bagpipes—participants from 30 cities around the world, aged between 4 and 87—to set a new Guinness World Record. Professor Yan Huichang, Artistic Director and Principal Conductor for Life of the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra, remarked, “The sheng is a living fossil of China’s 3,000-year ritual and musical tradition. Its ensemble with Western reed instruments such as the harmonica and bagpipes embodies the inclusive spirit of ‘harmony in diversity,’ revealing the universal appeal of Chinese music.”