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2024 China, October 30: Beijing

October 31, 2024
Photo: Todd Rosenberg

Today marked the start of residency activities, with a pop-up chamber music concert at the National Museum of China and a reception given by United States Ambassador to China R. Nicholas Burns at Bush House, his official residence.

Oct. 30, Beijing: A string quartet of musicians from the Orchestra traveled to the National Museum of China for a midday pop-up concert. The Museum is located on Tiananmen Square. Also on Tiananmen Square, and pictured here, is Tiananmen Gate (or Gate of Heaven-Sent Peace), the entrance to the Forbidden City.

Photo by Todd Rosenberg

Oct. 30, Beijing: Violinist Eliot Heaton warms up prior to the concert. Eliot joined the Orchestra in July, so this is his first tour with the Philadelphians.

Photo by Todd Rosenberg

Oct. 30, Beijing: Audience members of all ages enjoy the performance.

Photo by Todd Rosenberg

Oct. 30, Beijing: Philadelphia Orchestra and Ensemble Arts President and CEO Matías Tarnopolsky poses with Gao Zheng, director of the National Museum of China.

Photo by Todd Rosenberg

Oct. 30, Beijing: The quartet plays in a lobby of the vast Museum: (l to r) violist Meng Wang, violinist Mei Ching Huang, violinist Eliot Heaton, and Principal Cello Hai-Ye Ni.

Photo by Todd Rosenberg

Oct. 30, Beijing: The program included the first movement of Felix Mendelssohn’s String Quartet No. 1, “Cheek to Cheek” by Irving Berlin (made famous by Fred Astaire in the film "Top Hat"), and Carlos Gardel’s tango “Por una cabeza.”

Photo by Todd Rosenberg

Oct. 30, Beijing: Museumgoers take photos and videos during the performance.

Photo by Todd Rosenberg

Oct. 30, Beijing: Mei Ching addresses the crowd with Matías.

Photo by Todd Rosenberg

Oct. 30, Beijing: Matías is interviewed by Beijing TV following the concert.

Photo by Todd Rosenberg

Oct. 30, Beijing: The group enjoyed a tour of the Museum following the performance. The Museum has a collection of more than 1.4 million items and 48 exhibition halls. It has the largest single building area of any museum in the world and has the richest collection of Chinese cultural relics, including two of the famous terracotta warriors and a horse. The enormous collection of terracotta figures depicts the armies of China’s first emperor, Qin Shi Huang (259 BC–210 BC), and guards his tomb. The site, in Xi’an (previously Qin Shi Huang’s ancient capital city of Xianyang), was discovered in 1974.

Photo by Todd Rosenberg

Oct. 30, Beijing: Several musicians took a trip to the Great Wall: (l to r) cellists Glenn Fischbach, Philo Lee, and Sofia Nowik; assistant principal bass Tobias Vigneau; Principal Trombone Nitzan Haroz; bassist David Fay; violinist Jennifer Haas; cellist Derek Barnes; and violinist Charlene Kwas.
Oct. 30, Beijing: Matías and Ambassador Burns share a private moment at Bush House prior to the reception. The two became close following the Orchestra’s November 2023 small ensemble residency in China, when they met for the first time at Bush House.

Photo by Todd Rosenberg

Oct. 30, Beijing: Ambassador Burns greets violist Renard Edwards, one of two musicians still in the Orchestra who were on the historic 1973 trip when the ensemble became the first American orchestra to visit China. The other is violinist Davyd Booth.

Photo by Todd Rosenberg

Oct. 30, Beijing: Ambassador Burns greets the group, which included members of the Orchestra, the Philadelphia civic delegation, tour sponsors, Embassy colleagues, and more. He spoke about the important role The Philadelphia Orchestra plays in building bridges between people and cultures, quoting a line from President Biden’s November 2023 letter to the Orchestra, which said, “[Music] moves us forward—helping transcend language, overcome geography, and unite cultures and communities around the world.”

Photo by Todd Rosenberg

Oct. 30, Beijing: Matías speaks about the importance of cultural exchange through music.

Photo by Todd Rosenberg

Oct. 30, Beijing: Principal Guest Conductor Marin Alsop, who is leading her first tour with the Orchestra, addresses the crowd, sharing details about the upcoming performances.

Photo by Todd Rosenberg

Oct. 30, Beijing: Renard thanks the crowd for the warm welcome.

Photo by Todd Rosenberg

Oct. 30, Beijing: Davyd Booth also took the podium to reminisce about what China was like in 1973.

Photo by Todd Rosenberg

Oct. 30, Beijing: Assistant Principal Cello Yumi Kendall, Concertmaster David Kim, and Matías gift Ambassador Burns with a conductor’s baton, the presentation box signed by Music and Artistic Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin.

Photo by Todd Rosenberg

Oct. 30, Beijing: Musicians and staff pose with Ambassador Burns and pipa player Wu Man (center), who will join the Philadelphians as soloist during the tour.

Photo by Todd Rosenberg