From the Past, to the Future—Joint Council of ICC exchanges with the Delegation of the Philadelphia Orchestra and Attends Related Events
In September 1973, the Philadelphia Orchestra went to China as the “cultural envoy” of the then U.S. President Richard Nixon, which was the first orchestra from the United States to perform in China since the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949. That “ice-breaking tour” of cultural exchanges between China and the U.S. and the ensuing “ping-pong diplomacy” ushered a new chapter for the two peoples to enhance their mutual understanding and deepen their friendship. During its visit to China, the Orchestra performed 6 concerts in Beijing and Shanghai in total. Chinese and American artists performed the famous Chinese music the “Moon Reflected on the Er-quan Spring” and the piano concerto the “Yellow River” together in symphony, and the chorus of the Central Philharmonic Society (now China National Symphony Orchestra) sang “Beautiful America” in English. Those beautiful melodies were engraved into the memories of the people in both countries.
Philadelphia Orchestra’s first visit to China (September 1973)
Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra and Central Philharmonic Society
In November 2023, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of its tour to China, the Philadelphia Orchestra, with the support of the U.S. Department of State’s Arts Envoy Program, brought forth a series of performances and cultural exchange programs in Beijing, Tianjin, Suzhou, and Shanghai, including 50th Anniversary Concert, chamber concerts, and masterclasses. The delegation included a musician who toured China in 1973. During this visit, President and CEO of the Philadelphia Orchestra Matías Tarnopolsky received a reply letter from President Xi Jinping. In the reply, President Xi underlined his hope that the Philadelphia Orchestra, together with artists from all over the world, including China and the United States, will uphold the equality of civilizations, mutual learning, dialogue and inclusiveness, enhance exchanges and cooperation with each other, and promote the prosperity of the arts, so as to strengthen people-to-people ties between China and the US, as well as the friendship between peoples of the world.
Reception in Commemoration of 50th Anniversary of the Philadelphia Orchestra’s First Concert in China
On November 9, Yang Wanming, President of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), Nicholas Burns, Ambassador of the United States of America to the People’s Republic of China, and Matías Tarnopolsky, President and CEO of the Philadelphia Orchestra and Philadelphia Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, attended the Reception at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Commemoration of 50th Anniversary of the Philadelphia Orchestra’s First Concert in China and delivered speeches. At the reception, the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Beijing Philharmonic Choir performed a quartet and a children’s chorus respectively, and collaborated on the Chinese folk song “Jasmine Flower”.
50 Years of Friendship—Special Anniversary Concert of The Philadelphia Orchestra’s 1973 China Tour
On November 10, 50 Years of Friendship—Special Anniversary Concert of the Philadelphia Orchestra’s 1973 China Tour was held at the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) in Beijing. Li Shulei, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, attended the concert, read out the reply letter from President Xi Jinping to Matías Tarnopolsky and then delivered a speech. U.S. Ambassador to China, Mr. Burns, read out U.S. President Joe Biden’s congratulatory letter before the performance. The concert was of a mix of Chinese and American classic music, with two opening pieces of the “Overture to Candide” and an adapted orchestral work the “Moon Reflected on the Er-quan Spring”. Seven young singers from the U.S. and other three countries sang four famous Tang poems in Chinese in symphony, including “Up on the Crane Tower” and “Docking by the Bridge at Night”. By telling the story of cultural exchanges between China and America via symphonic music, the concert was warmly welcomed by the audience.
Matías Tarnopolsky, President and CEO of the Philadelphia Orchestra, presents the complete score of “Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony” to Zhou Yu, Secretary of the Party Committee of the China National Symphony Orchestra.
In the presence of Davyd Booth (center), the violinist who participated in the 1973 tour, Zhou Yu presents the full score of “Ode to the Red Flag” to Matías Tarnopolsky.
Special Concert by Philadelphia Orchestra and National Centre for the Performing Arts Orchestra (NCPAO)
On November 11, themed by Nostalgia on String, Philadelphia Orchestra and National Centre for the Performing Arts Orchestra (NCPAO) Special Concert was performed at the NCPA in Beijing. The Concert featured three Chinese and foreign classic music full of homesickness and nostalgia conducted by Sun Yifan, one of the leading young conductors and assistant conductor of the NCPAO. In the first half, Sun Yifan’s orchestra played Chen Qigang’s “Going West” and Bernstein’s “Divertimento”. In the second half, the famous cellist Jan Vogler and the Philadelphia Orchestra joined the performance and played Dvorak’s “Cello Concerto in B Minor” with the NCPAO. That melody full of longings and hopes ushered the climax of the concert.
Ma Shengrong meets with Ryan Fleur.
Ma Shengrong, former Vice President and Executive Deputy Editor of Xinhua News Agency, Zhang Yu, Deputy Director of the Steering Committee of the ICC, Cheng Yu, Executive Secretary General of the ICC, as well as other leaders and members of ICC’s Strategic Advisory Committee, Steering Committee, Secretariat of the Joint Council have been invited to attend the Reception of the Commemoration of 50th Anniversary of the Philadelphia Orchestra’s First Concert in China at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, Special Anniversary Concert of the Philadelphia Orchestra’s 1973 China Tour and the Philadelphia Orchestra and NCPAO Special Concert. Meanwhile the representatives of the ICC have met with Matías Tarnopolsky, President and CEO of the Philadelphia Orchestra, Ryan Fleur, Executive Director of the Philadelphia Orchestra, and the violinist Davyd Booth (who visited China with the Orchestra in 1973) and other members of the Philadelphia Orchestra’s delegation and exchanged ideas with each other.
Cheng Yu and Matías Tarnopolsky
Cheng Yu and Ryan Fleur
Cheng Yu, Executive Secretary General of the ICC introduced to Matías Tarnopolsky and Ryan Fleur the details about the high-level exchanges and public diplomacy between China and the United States staged by the ICC in recent years. In addition, Ms Cheng, on behalf of the ICC, gifted the delegation a collection entitled “300 Poems of the Tang Dynasty with Embroidered Sculptures” published by China Thread-Binding Books Publishing House, and presented the performance program of the Philadelphia Orchestra’s first visit to China in September 1973, which was housed in the ICC Archive, and the badge of the Joint Council of the ICC, to the China National Symphony Orchestra and the Philadelphia Orchestra. Liao Yanru, Deputy Head of the China National Symphony Orchestra, attended the meeting. Zhou Suli, Minister-Counselor and Deputy Chief of Mission of the Singapore Embassy in China, was also invited to the concert. Executives of the Counselors’ Office of the ICC, the Development Committee of the ICC, and visiting experts from central state organs, people’s organizations, central institutions and enterprises and other units, attended the meeting.
Davyd Booth signed the performance program of the Philadelphia Orchestra’s first visit to China: “Davyd Booth 1973-2023 Nov.10, 2023”
The performance program of the Philadelphia Orchestra’s first visit to China in ICC’s Archive and the ticket of the concert (Cultural Palace of Nationalities, Beijing, in 1973)
As one of the most essential bilateral relations in the world today, China-US relations have a major impact on the world order. Now San Francisco is in the spotlight of the whole world. The international community expects that the meeting of the two presidents in San Francisco will navigate bilateral relations back to the track of sound and stable development. Over the past half century, the Philadelphia Orchestra has made significant contributions towards promoting understanding and ties between the two peoples. In the congratulatory letter on the 50th anniversary of the Philadelphia Orchestra’s first visit to China, U.S. President Joe Biden said, “With unique ability, music can take us back to the most precious moments, places and fragments of our lives, as well as move us forward beyond language and across geography, uniting together people from different cultures and groups.”
Over the past half century, the Philadelphia Orchestra, as an active “cultural envoy” between China and the United States, has visited China 12 times and played a positive role in promoting China-U.S. relations. Today, 50 years later, the Philadelphia Orchestra’s performances with the China National Symphony Orchestra and singers from other countries in China will undoubtedly go down in history as a precious story. The ICC, as a strategic think tank with insights on the changes of the international landscape and the global architecture and an important platform for foreign exchanges and international cooperation, attaches great importance to the cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries. It hopes to work hand in hand with the Philadelphia Orchestra to keep facilitating people-to-people communications and heart-to-heart exchanges through music, so as to build a bridge of art for the closer understanding between the two peoples and contribute to the stable and sound development of China-U.S. relations.