President Xi Jinping has replied to a letter from Matias Tarnopolsky, President and CEO of the Philadelphia Orchestra. Xi said it is a pleasure to learn that the Philadelphia Orchestra will visit China in November for the 13th time and join the Chinese side to celebrate the orchestra's first China tour in September 1973 with musical performances and activities, renewing the 50-year musical friendship between the orchestra and the Chinese people.
Xi said he hopes that the orchestra and artists from China, the United States and across the world will uphold the principles of equality, mutual learning, dialogue, and inclusiveness among civilizations, and engage in close exchanges and cooperation to promote the prosperity of arts. Such efforts will strengthen people-to-people ties between China and the US and spread friendship among peoples of the world.
The reply from President Xi has been warmly welcomed by artists, and people committed to China-US friendship in various sectors in both countries. They have all expressed their appreciation for the letter, which demonstrates President Xi Jinping’s strong commitment to enhancing people-to-people connections between China and the United States. Furthermore, they have expressed their eagerness to act as bridges to facilitate cultural exchanges and people-to-people bonds between both countries.
Eight musicians from the Philadelphia Orchestra collaborate with the NCPA Orchestra on November 11
The Philadelphia Orchestra made its inaugural visit to China in September 1973, marking the first time an American orchestra had done so since the founding of the People’s Republic of China. Over the past 50 years, the orchestra has played a positive role in strengthening China-US relations as a proactive “cultural ambassador”.
Matias Tarnopolsky, President and CEO of the Philadelphia Orchestra, has written a letter to President Xi, reviewing the orchestra’s exchange history with China and introducing the upcoming events scheduled for November to commemorate the 50th anniversary of their first tour in China in 1973.
Tarnopolsky expressed his honor upon receiving the reply, stating that he was pleasantly surprised by its promptness. He agreed with the statement that “music transcends borders and culture can act as a bridge”. He added that music possesses the power to bring together people from different cultures and facilitate exchange. President Xi Jinping's reply serves as a great encouragement for us to continue our mission of promoting cultural exchange and mutual learning.
Davyd Booth, a violinist with the Philadelphia Orchestra, participated in the historic China tour 50 years ago that marked a breakthrough in China-US cultural exchange. Since then, he has been a part of every performance by the orchestra in China. He is delighted to witness how the seed of friendship sown 50 years ago has flourished into a thriving tree.
Booth expressed that President Xi’s reply demonstrates the importance attached to people-to-people exchanges between our two nations. During this event, we collaborated with Chinese artists to perform music that embodies the Chinese history and culture. It is through such exchanges that music truly comes to life and can endure for generations. These collaborations also serve as a testament to the strong relationship between our orchestra and China.
On the evening of November 10, more than 10 artists from the Philadelphia Orchestra collaborated with the China National Symphony Orchestra (CNSO) and singers from various countries to perform at the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA). The concert, titled "50 Years of Friendship", featured melodious excerpts from the "Echoes of Ancient Tang Poems" Concert and the magnificent Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 in C Minor.
After the performance, Liu Zhiyong, Deputy Chief of the CNSO, expressed his excitement. He stated that President Xi's reply letter expressed a sincere aspiration to enhance cultural exchanges and cooperation between China and the US in all areas. This recognition and encouragement is greatly appreciated by literary and artistic professionals.
More than 10 years ago, Liu Zhiyong traveled to the US with the CNSO and delivered a series of outstanding performances for the local audience over a period of two months. The sight of the audience standing up and cheering after the concert left a deep impression on him. "We look forward to collaborating with more top orchestras like the Philadelphia Orchestra, and presenting more excellent works of art to the people in China and the US."
Tristan Rais-Sherman, the conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra, expressed his excitement about performing in China. As this was his first visit to China, he made a special effort to learn Chinese and even gave himself a Chinese name, "Que Siteng". He also learned to introduce himself in Chinese. He said, "The Chinese people are very hospitable and I am excited to explore more of this country."
Recently, China and the US have held a series of people-to-people activities aimed at strengthening the relationship between the two countries. These activities include a revisit by Kuliang Friends, the Fifth China-US Sister Cities Conference, a visit by Flying Tigers veterans and their descendants to China, and the commemorative performance by the Philadelphia Orchestra.
“The foundation of the China-US relationship lies in our societies, and its hope lies in the people. Its future depends on the youth, and its vitality comes from exchanges at subnational levels,” said Shen Xin, Director General of the Department of American & Oceanian Affairs at the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries. “We will earnestly follow President Xi's instructions as outlined in his reply letter and plan the next phase of work at the people-to-people, subnational, and youth levels, so as to inject more vitality and warmth into the development of China-US relations.”
American Ballet Theatre artists present a performance of Giselle at the NCPA on November 9-12
On the evening of November 10, China released the news that President Xi Jinping will be visiting the United States to meet with the US President and attend the 30th APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting. Zhang Tengjun, Deputy Director of the Department for American Studies at China Institute of International Studies, said that a series of people-to-people exchanges have created a favorable atmosphere for the upcoming China-US presidential meeting, which is expected to yield positive outcomes, injecting more certainty and positive energy into the world.
In the coming days, the Philadelphia Orchestra will perform in cities such as Tianjin, Suzhou, and Shanghai. Tarnopolsky expressed his intention to revisit China next year with the entire orchestra to further utilize music as a means of enhancing the friendship between our two peoples.
