Tan Lihua 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 National Ballet of China Symphony Orchestra and China National Symphony Orchestra, as well as the music and art consultant of China National Opera & Dance Drama Theater.

Tan Lihua 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" . Since 2007, Tan Lihua had released records worldwide with Electric and Musical Industries Ltd. (EMI), in which he conducted Beijing Symphony Orchestra, and Tan became the first Chinese conductor and orchestra in cooperating with EMI to make records.

As one of the most famous conductors in China is active in the international and domestic music circles, Tan Lihua 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".