“The Pacific Symphony said Tuesday it will tour China, the orchestra’s first trip to Asia,” reports Christopher Smith in Tuesday’s (1/9) Orange County Register (CA). “Taking place May 9-15, the five-concert series will begin in Shanghai, visit three regional cities in China, including burgeoning Chongqing, and finish in Beijing. ‘This is an artistic milestone for the orchestra,’ said Pacific Symphony longtime Music Director Carl St.Clair in a statement, calling it an opportunity to ‘embrace cultural diplomacy and carry the message of music’s universality across the ocean and to the other side of the Pacific Rim.’ The program, to be repeated at each venue, includes three short pieces from Leonard Bernstein, tied to the composer’s centenary celebration this year. Also on the bill will be works by Mozart, Mussorgsky, and Ravel. Violinist Pinchas Zukerman is accompanying the orchestra. He will be the featured soloist on Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 3…. ‘Since 2013 we have been devoted to engaging with the (local) Chinese community and building on its enthusiasm for symphonic music,’ said Pacific Symphony President John Forsythe. He added that the China tour ‘is the logical extension of the work we have been doing in Orange County.’ ”
Posted January 10, 2018
