From Oct. 31 to Nov. 10, 2024, the full Philadelphia Orchestra returned to China for its 13th tour of China—the most by any American orchestra, coinciding with 45 years of official U.S.-China diplomatic relations.
The Philadelphia Orchestra held eight shows in Beijing, Tianjin, Chengdu and Haikou of Hainan. The visit also marks the 45th anniversary of the sister city relationship between Philadelphia and Tianjin, and the first time an American orchestra has traveled to Haikou in Hainan province. Residency activities took place throughout the tour and in Shanghai, Wuxi, and Nanchang following the full Orchestra tour.
"We are delighted to perform in Haikou," said Matias Tarnopolsky, president and CEO of the Philadelphia Orchestra, describing it as "a history-making moment."
Conductor Marin Alsop felt deeply honoured to conduct this tour. She believes that the deep connection between the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Chinese people truly reflects how music can bring us mutual respect and understanding.
In September 1973, the Philadelphia Orchestra made its first China Tour—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. The program was disrupted by the COVID pandemic in 2019. The China-United States Exchange Foundation (CUSEF) has been supporting the Philadelphia Orchestra's return to China. In November 2023, 14 members of the Orchestra traveled to China for residency activities that commemorated the 50th anniversary of the ensemble’s historic 1973 Tour of China.
