Phila. Orchestra to return to China with more than concerts

The Philadelphia Orchestra is to announce Thursday that it will return to China May 31 to June 9, marking the 40th anniversary of its groundbreaking 1973 debut there with an agenda that goes well beyond concerts.

The orchestra's second China residency will feature master classes, workshops, pop-up performances in public places, hospitals and schools, as well as playing alongside local orchestras in Hangzhou, Shanghai, Beijing, and Macao. Venues to be visited vary from the Picun Migrant Worker's Village Elementary School in Beijing to the Venetian, Macao's huge recreational complex where the orchestra's two concerts under frequent guest Donald Runnicles will compete with 3,400 slot machines.

"We don't want to be seen as just coming in, saying 'Here's the great Philadelphia Orchestra and here's what we'll perform.' People-to-people exchange ... really does happen," said Craig Hamilton, the orchestra's vice president for global intiatives.

Though Western orchestras have often visited China since Philadelphia set the precedent in 1973 - music director Yannick Nézet-Séguin will be there with the Rotterdam Philharmonic at the same time - few have penetrated China's geographical vastness with the consistency of the Philadelphians.

"Maps of China with pin dots are on our walls here," said orchestra president Allison B. Vulgamore, "not just to find where the cultural communities are but to decide how we'll sojourn to those places."

Nobody is sure what these annual visits could lead to - next year is already planned with Nézet-Séguin - though exploring new cities is a priority. This year's debuts include Hangzhou, a provincial capital with seven million people, and the palatial Grand Theatre.

"Diplomacy is like how Woody Allen describes life - it's showing up, and events of this kind have very positive cumulative effect," said Nicholas Platt, former U.S. diplomat in China and Philadelphia Orchestra adviser.

"The Chinese have no problem producing great soloists," said Platt. "But ensemble training is something they need."

The China tours have long had strong Washington connections. Thursday's official announcement will be made from the Washington office of Sen. Bob Casey (D., Pa.).

Some events serve both diplomatic and artistic functions, such as a benefit concert for Soong Ching Ling Foundation–Pearl S. Buck Charitable Fund for underserved children. Joint performances will be with the Shanghai Municipal Orchestra and the China National Symphony Orchestra.

Both the 2012 and 2013 residencies have been organized by the orchestra itself rather than the usual third-party presenter. "Did everything come off perfectly?" said Hamilton. "No. We learned a lot and have more to learn."

Two lessons from 2012: Don't spread the orchestra too thin, said Hamilton. "And leave time for serendipity," said Vulgamore.