Lihua Tan, one of the most famous conductors in China, is active in the international and domestic music circles. He has been invited to conduct dozens of excellent international symphony orchestras, such as Russian National Symphony Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne, Berlin Symphony Orchestra, Toulouse National Symphony Orchestra of France, National Orchestra of Belgium, Czech National Orchestra and Bruckner Orchestra of Austria and so on, He is praised by Western media as "conductor with graceful and smooth conducting style, marvelous skills and emotive artistic fascination".

Lihua Tan was the conductor of the Orchestra of former Central Philharmonic Society Orchestra from 1991 to 1995, and now serve as the Principal Guest Conductor of China National Symphony Orchestra and The National Ballet of China Symphony Orchestra as well as member of the 10th, 11th and 12th CPPCC National Committee, vice chairman of the 6th, 7th and 8th China Musicians Association, Chairman of the 3rd, 4th and 5th Beijing Musicians Association, Deputy Director of Arts Committee of National Centre for the Performing Arts, and vice president of China Symphony Development Foundation. He has been the General Director, Artistic Director and Chief Conductor of Beijing Symphony Orchestra for 26 years since 1992. Lihua Tan led Beijing Symphony Orchestra in performing tour in Europe for seven times from 2001 to 2013, which was a great success and caused heated discussions. Lihua Tan was jointly awarded "Outstanding Artist" award by Dvorak Society, the Dvorak Music Festival and Dvorak family in 2012 in recognition of his contribution to the premiere of many German music works in China. In October 2013, Beijing Symphony Orchestra successfully completed its first performing tour to the Americas, where it received a warm response. The Washington Post, the largest circulation newspaper in the United States, headlined that "Beijing Symphony Orchestra has set off a classical music boom".

Lihua Tan has repeatedly conducted China National Symphony Orchestra and Beijing Symphony Orchestra to participate in significant state event concerts such as "APEC", "The Belt and Road", "BRICS Summit" and "Forum on China-Africa Cooperation". Lihua Tan has participated in establishing and planning of Beijing New Year Concert since 1997 which has now become an indispensable cultural event for Beijing citizens to celebrate New Year. He is the only musician who has served as the music consultant and conductor of all New Year Concerts. Over the years, He actively advocated and promoted composition and performance of contemporary Chinese symphonic works. More than 100 new works by dozens of Chinese composers were premiered by him. Since 2007, Lihua Tan had released eight records worldwide with Electric and Musical Industries Ltd. (EMI), in which he conducted Beijing Symphony Orchestra, becoming the first Chinese conductor and orchestra in cooperation with EMI to make records.