“Four musicians from the Philadelphia Orchestra, just off a full orchestra tour of Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea, [arrived] in Shanghai to teach and play at ShanghaiTech University along with musicians from the Shanghai Philharmonic,” writes Trudy Rubin in Saturday’s (11/23) Philadelphia Inquirer. “Could music still survive as an apolitical bridge between citizens of two countries that have become strategic competitors and view each other with rising suspicion? When it comes to the Philadelphia Orchestra—the answer is yes…. That’s because the orchestra’s rock-star status in China offers it unique possibilities for bridge-building. [Since] 1973, it … has made 11 full visits.… The latest ties include a planned a three-way, three-year partnership with the Shanghai Philharmonic and ShanghaiTech.… ‘We do avoid politics, but we are very aware of what is going on,’ [Philadelphia Orchestra President and CEO Matias Tarnopolsky] says. ‘We believe music can make some basic human connections that are pretty well absent from other forums.’ … At a time of rising paranoia in both countries, it would be dangerous if cultural and educational ties were severed. Given its stellar brand—and music’s universal language—the Philadelphia Orchestra stands a strong chance of bucking the trend.”
Posted November 26, 2019
In photo: Philadelphia Orchestra violinist Meng Wang coaches Yuqing Yao, a member of ShanghaiTech’s student orchestra. Photo by Trudy Rubin
