In November 2023, 14 members of the Philadelphia Orchestra traveled to China for residency activities commemorating the 50th anniversary of the ensemble’s historic 1973 Tour of China. On the evening of Nov. 10, the concert "Friendship Across Half a Century" was held at the Concert Hall of the National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing. In a letter from President Biden, the Orchestra was praised for serving “as a bridge between our nations, strengthening the bonds that bring our people together.”
The China-United States Exchange Foundation (CUSEF) has been supporting the Philadelphia Orchestra's return to China after the COVID pandemic. This year's visit builds on the momentum of the full Philadelphia Orchestra’s 2024 China Tour.
The Philadelphia Orchestra made its first China Tour in September 1973—the first by an American orchestra, known as "the ice-breaking journey," which kicked off the prelude of U.S.-China cultural exchanges and have forged a deep friendship between the two peoples through music in more than 50 years that followed.
