In Wednesday’s (4/25) Philadelphia Inquirer, David Patrick Stearns writes, “Forget the usual overseas concert tours, when the Philadelphia Orchestra arrives like some grand ocean liner with all routes planned years in advance. The orchestra’s May 28-June 6 residency and tour of China, details of which were to be announced Wednesday in Beijing and Philadelphia, was hatched in a matter of months—five full orchestral concerts in four cities, master classes, chamber concerts, many other ancillary events, plus plans stretching five years into the future. ‘Announcing in the fall and going in May—that’s quick time,’ said orchestra president Allison Vulgamore. ‘It’s an unstoppable energy.’ It has also shoehorned into the orchestra’s regular schedule. Concerts in San Francisco June 9 and 10 with chief conductor Charles Dutoit (who also leads the China concerts) will be played on the way home, followed by summer seasons at Vail, Saratoga, and Philadelphia’s Mann Center. … The main base of the residency is Beijing’s National Centre for the Performing Arts (nicknamed the Egg because of its architecture) with performances in schools, pop-up performances at historic sites, and master classes. On June 3, a ceremony will formalize future visits; the Egg’s president, Chen Ping, is a key partner.”
Posted April 26, 2012
