Philadelphia Orchestra Artists Visit China to Renew Friendship Spanning Half a Century with Music

Beijing, 11 Nov (ZXS) -- Philadelphia Orchestra Artists Visit China to Write a Friendship Spanning Half a Century with Music

Author: Ying Ni Zeng Yue

Tristan Rhys Sherman, conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra in the United States, who is visiting China for the first time, believes that his performance at the National Centre for the Performing Arts on November 11 will be a glorious moment in history, both for him and for the Philadelphia Orchestra.

Titled "'Friendship Spanning Half a Century' – A Concert in Commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the Philadelphia Orchestra's Visit to China," the concert will feature the China Symphony Orchestra and the Philadelphia Orchestra, with repertoire including Bernstein's Candide Overture, Erquan Reflecting the Moon, Will Enter the Wine, and Beethoven's Fifth Symphony. Tristan Rhys Sherman will take the stage alongside renowned Chinese conductor Li Xincao, the China Symphony Orchestra, 13 Fei Jiao musicians, and artists from the Asian American Center for the Performing Arts.

Fifty years ago, in 1973, the Philadelphia Orchestra set foot on Chinese soil with more than <> members, becoming the first American symphony orchestra in history to visit China. In the four performances in Beijing, the repertoire includes the piano concerto "Yellow River" with pianist Yin Chengzong of the Central Orchestra (the predecessor of the China Symphony Orchestra), as well as Brahms's "Symphony No. <>" and Beethoven's "Sixth Symphony" and other major works, which are unprecedented sensations.

On the afternoon of November 11th, Tristan Rhys Sherman, conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra, was conducting a rehearsal in the rehearsal hall of the China Symphony Orchestra. Photo by China News Service reporter Ying Ni

On the afternoon of November 11, as soon as the reporter walked into the rehearsal hall of the China Symphony Orchestra, he heard the recitation of "You don't see the water of the Yellow River coming from the sky", and then the surging music was played, which was magnificent. The rehearsal at the scene is "Will Enter the Wine", the lyrics of which are derived from the Chinese Tang Dynasty poet Li Bai.

Sherman, a young conductor who joined the Philadelphia Orchestra two years ago, took over the program in Beijing this summer. He believes that the selection of the repertoire for this concert is a historic connection with the Philadelphia Orchestra's performance in China in 1973. The most important of these is Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, which was also performed that year, and it is a direct dialogue with history. Fifty years later, the repertoire is more significant in the integration of Chinese and Western cultures, especially the excerpts from the concert "Echoes of Tang Poetry", in addition to "Will Enter the Wine", there are also "Wen Guanjun Receives Henan and Hebei", "Fengqiao Night Park" and "Yongge Yongxue". In order to better understand the artistic conception of these poems, he began to study Chinese culture, "difficult, too difficult", he sighed again and again. But then, Sherman said in Chinese, "I can speak a little Chinese", and the pronunciation is quite standard.

Violinist David Booth, a 73-year-old performer who visited China in 1973 and returned to China <> years later, "was an amazing experience and a very pivotal one in my life." He told China News Service that to this day, he still keeps meeting the audience of the concert from all over the world, "They told me that they still remember the concert vividly, and that concert deeply affected their lives." ”

He admits that he never dreamed at the time that the trip would be so important and how it would have a huge impact on his life, "As it turns out, I think it had an equally huge impact on the Philadelphia Orchestra and even on the United States and China." Back in 1973, I often compare it to a seed we planted, and then we saw that seed germinate and grow into a towering tree. ”

Matthias Tarnopoliski, president and CEO of the Philadelphia Orchestra, said we came here because we believe that music can express ideas and ideas that words alone cannot. We are committed to achieving this ideal, using the power of music to find and create common ground.

He shares the belief that with the Philadelphia Orchestra featuring many Chinese musicians, Philadelphia has actually become part of China's DNA. "We are actively planning to revisit China in a year with the entire Philadelphia Orchestra." (ENDS)