Philadelphia Orchestra bridges ties with Wuxi

The Philadelphia Orchestra from the United States made its debut in Wuxi, East China's Jiangsu province, on Nov 14 by hosting a joint concert alongside the Wuxi Symphony Orchestra, fostering mutual understanding and friendship through music.

The concert staged at the Wuxi Grand Theatre featured a blend of Chinese and Western classics composed by legendary musicians such as Antonin Dvorak, Wolfgang Mozart, Huang Haihuai and Hua Yanjun.

"With this inaugural performance in Wuxi, a new chapter begins," Scott Walker, Shanghai consul general of the United States, said prior to the concert.

He added that music is one of the best ways to bring people from different cultures together, and Wuxi is a great city for making these kinds of connections.

The highlight of the concert was the joint performance of The Moon Reflected on the Second Spring, a classic erhu piece by Hua, a blind musician from Wuxi.

The piece was chosen by the Philadelphia Orchestra during its historic visit to China in 1973, marking a milestone in cultural exchange between the two countries. In Nov 2023, the orchestra played it again at the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing to commemorate the visit's 50th anniversary.

Performing the song in the composer's hometown with local musicians holds special significance for the US orchestra.

"We're very touched that we can collaborate with a piece that resonates so much with the city. To have this opportunity to be very intimate with the musicians here is very meaningful for us," said violinist Amy Oshiro-Morales.

Earlier that day, the orchestra held a pop-up concert in Wuxi's Jichang Garden, a classical and resplendent garden. The combination of the picturesque setting, with the splendor of the orchestra's music, attracted many tourists to stop and gaze in awe.