In Wednesday’s (11/14) New York Times, Daniel J. Wakin writes, “China long ago emerged as a kind of promised land for classical music, and two of America’s great orchestras are wading in with big projects and very different approaches. … The New York Philharmonic is planning to publicize on Wednesday a four-year partnership with the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra. It will include a 10- to 14-day residency in China and a stake in an orchestra training program. The Philharmonic’s involvement in training will begin in the fall of 2014, after the details are worked out, and its residency is scheduled to begin the following summer. … The Philadelphia Orchestra beat the Philharmonic to the punch, descending on Beijing and provincial cities last spring with a menu of master classes, lessons, concerts, and visits to parks, schools and hospitals. … A spokeswoman, Katherine E. Blodgett, called the visit a pilot project to test its plans. The Philadelphia Orchestra intends to return next spring and hopes that the residency will establish the foundation for a long-term relationship, she said. … A group of four or five Philharmonic members will spend a week, three times a year, working with students of a new orchestral academy in Shanghai. Teaching will also take place during the summer residency, which will include a number of Philharmonic orchestral and chamber performances.”
Posted November 14, 2012
