Philadelphia and Chengdu Orchestras to unite in musical harmony

The Philadelphia Orchestra from the United States and the Chengdu Symphony Orchestra will collaborate to stage a series of performances in Chengdu, the capital of Southwest China's Sichuan province, as part of the 30th Autumn in Chengdu International Music Season.

Xiao Ying, head of the Chengdu Symphony Orchestra and general director of this year's music season's opening and closing ceremonies, said the performances will bring together top musicians from around the world.

"The opening performances are scheduled to take place in September. They will be an audiovisual feast combining indoor concerts with immersive outdoor performances," he said.

Xiao said the closing performances will take place on Nov 7 at the multi-purpose sports stadium of the Phoenix Hill Sports Park in Chengdu.

The Philadelphia Orchestra will perform classical symphonic works such as the Dvorak's Symphony No 9 From the New World and Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Xiao said.

While visiting Chengdu, the Philadelphia Orchestra will also collaborate with the Chengdu Symphony Orchestra for a joint concert on Nov 6, and perform flash mob shows at urban landmarks in Chengdu.

Ryan Fleur, executive director of the Philadelphia Orchestra and Kimmel Center, said Chengdu has a profound cultural heritage. He hopes the cooperation between the Philadelphia Orchestra and Chengdu Symphony Orchestra will enhance US-China cultural exchanges.

This year marks the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the United States. The Philadelphia Orchestra made its first China tour in 1973, marking a thaw in China-US cultural exchanges before the normalization of the two countries' diplomatic relations.