NEW YORK, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- The Philadelphia Orchestra of the United States will join hands with China's Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra (SPO) on Jan. 29 to present a free concert in celebration of the Chinese Lunar New Year.
Featuring the world premiere of the newly revised version of Chinese pianist and composer Peng-Peng Gong's Symphony No. 10, the concert in Philadelphia's Kimmel Center will see both orchestras sitting side by side and the podium will be shared by Kensho Watanabe, assistant conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra, and SPO's resident conductor Liang Zhang.
Gong's Symphony No. 10, or "Peking Fantasy", translates the emotional and philosophical experience of the Peking Opera for international audiences. It is scored for a large orchestra of over 100 players and incorporates numerous styles to capture different emotions and atmospheres.
"The Philadelphia Orchestra believes in making great music accessible to our communities," said the orchestra's president and CEO Matias Tarnopolsky. "We look forward to opening our doors in celebration of Chinese New Year, and to welcoming our friends from China for an evening of shared music-making that showcases the partnership between our two cultures."
Founded in 1900, the Philadelphia Orchestra is one of the "Big Five" American orchestras and has enjoyed great prestige in the world. It became the first American orchestra to perform in China in 1973 and has returned regularly in the past two decades.
It has also offered several joint performances with the SPO, including a 2016 side-by-side concert to celebrate the grand opening of Disney Shanghai.
"As we mark the 40th anniversary of official diplomatic relations between the U.S. and China, we look forward to continuing to forge meaningful connections between our cultures and communities through music," said Tarnopolsky.
The Chinese New Year, or Spring Festival, falls on Feb. 5, 2019.
