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2024 China, November 2: Beijing

November 3, 2024
Photo: 2024 Todd Rosenberg Photography

The Orchestra’s third concert at the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) consisted mostly of excerpts from the iSing! International Festival’s "Echoes of Ancient Tang Poems," which was given its North American premiere by The Philadelphia Orchestra on its Lunar New Year Concert in 2023 and repeated at New York’s Alice Tully Hall. The program included the world premiere of a new work by acclaimed American composer Mason Bates, a setting of the Tang poem “Spring River Flowers by Moonlight.” The piece was co-commissioned by The Philadelphia Orchestra and Music and Artistic Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin and the China International Culture Association, with additional support from the US-China Cultural Institute, in memory of Shirley Young. A truly global celebration, the songs in "Echoes of Ancient Tang Poems" were written by young composers from around the world and sung by young artists from around the world.

Nov. 2, Beijing: Philadelphia Orchestra President and CEO Matías Tarnopolsky started his day by giving the keynote speech at the Beijing Forum for Performing Arts and the Taihu International Stage Art Forum, held at the new Beijing Performing Arts Centre. He spoke about the Orchestra’s rich history in China, and on the theme of this year’s Forum, creating a sustainable future for the arts.

Photo by Todd Rosenberg

Nov. 2, Beijing: Principal Guest Conductor Marin Alsop leads the afternoon rehearsal.

Photo by Todd Rosenberg

Nov. 2, Beijing: The Orchestra rehearses Brahms’s Variations on a Theme of Joseph Haydn.

Photo by Todd Rosenberg

Nov. 2, Beijing: Marin and Assistant Conductor Naomi Woo discuss something in the score.

Photo by Todd Rosenberg

Nov. 2, Beijing: Marin poses backstage with some of the vocalists appearing in the concert.

Photo by Todd Rosenberg

Nov. 2, Beijing: Marin and First Associate Concertmaster Juliette Kang share a laugh during a break in the rehearsal.

Photo by Todd Rosenberg

Nov. 2, Beijing: The entire cast of vocalists rehearses “Drink to Me,” composed by Luo Maishuno from China and set to a poem written by Li Bai.

Photo by Todd Rosenberg

Nov. 2, Beijing: Mason Bates follows along during the rehearsal of his new piece.

Photo by Todd Rosenberg

Nov. 2, Beijing: Marin and Mason confer during the rehearsal.

Photo by Todd Rosenberg

Nov. 2, Beijing: Backstage in the Green Room before the concert, United States Ambassador to China R. Nicholas Burns personally thanked the Orchestra for its inspiration and impact in China. Ambassador Burns has been a tireless advocate for the ensemble’s work in China and a gracious host and partner. The United States Embassy provided a generous grant to support the Orchestra’s cultural exchange work during and after this tour. Here he greets Marin and Mason.

Photo by Todd Rosenberg

Nov. 2, Beijing: Ambassador Burns addresses the tour party.

Photo by Todd Rosenberg

Nov. 2, Beijing: Principal Trombone Nitzan Haroz warms up backstage before the concert.

Photo by Todd Rosenberg

Nov. 2, Beijing: Cellist Richard Harlow shows his instrument to a mother and son as the Orchestra musicians were warming up before the concert. As Rich said, “This makes all the many years of practice worth it and I'm sure they will remember this for many years to come.”
Nov. 2, Beijing: The performance begins with Brahms’s Haydn Variations.

Photo by Todd Rosenberg

Nov. 2, Beijing: The men singers in the cast during “Drink to Me.”

Photo by Todd Rosenberg

Nov. 2, Beijing: The women vocalists sing “Drink to Me.”

Photo by Todd Rosenberg

Nov. 2, Beijing: The entire cast performs one of the songs. The vocalists include Erica Cortese (Italy), Hannah Goodman (US), Esther Maureen Kelly (US), Deborah Solange Martinez (Nicaragua), Imola Lidia Máté (Hungary), Juliet Petrus (US), Anne-Marine Suire (France), Alex Aldren (UK), Thomas Glenn (Canada), Valdis Jansons (Latvia), Bryan Murray (US), José Rubio (US), Aaron Scarberry (US), and Zhou Zhengzhong (China).

Photo by Todd Rosenberg

Nov. 2, Beijing: Baritone Zhou Zhengzhong performs “Quiet Thoughts by Night,” composed by Sam Wu (Australia) and set to a poem by Li Bai.

Photo by Todd Rosenberg

Nov. 2, Beijing: Baritone José Rubio performs “Up on the Crane Tower” by Evan Mack (US), set to Wang Zhihuan’s poem.

Photo by Todd Rosenberg

Nov. 2, Beijing: Soprano Juliet Petrus sings “Bamboo Shoots” by Tomàs Peire-Serrate (Spain) with words by Liu Yuxi.

Photo by Todd Rosenberg

Nov. 2, Beijing: Esther Maureen Kelly and Valdis Jansons perform the premiere of Mason’s “Spring River Flowers by Moonlight,” set to a poem by Zhang Ruoxu.

Photo by Todd Rosenberg

Nov. 2, Beijing: Mason takes a bow and acknowledges the very warm reception given to his piece by the audience.

Photo by Todd Rosenberg

Nov. 2, Beijing: A reception followed the performance in the VIP Room. Marin enters to applause from the gathered guests, including (on the right) NCPA President Wang Ning.

Photo by Todd Rosenberg

Nov. 2, Beijing: Marin greets Minister of Culture and Tourism Sun Yeli.

Photo by Todd Rosenberg

Nov. 2, Beijing: Ambassador Burns, Mason, Sun Yeli, and Matías pose with a score to the new work signed by Mason, which was gifted to Sun Yeli.

Photo by Todd Rosenberg

Nov. 2, Beijing: iSing! Co-Founders Martha Liao (left) and Hao Jiang Tian pose with Mason and Ambassador Burns and his wife, Elizabeth Baylies.

Photo by Todd Rosenberg

Nov. 2, Beijing: Mason presents an autographed score to Gao Zheng, who serves as director of the National Museum of China and as director general of the International Exchange and Cooperation Bureau of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

Photo by Todd Rosenberg