#71 Philadelphia Orchestra

[스티븐스 대사]

A few weekends ago I had the pleasure of hearing the Philadelphia Orchestra perform at Sejong Arts Center in Seoul.  It was a beautiful concert.  The orchestra, led by Chief Conductor Charles Dutoit, came to Korea as part of an 11-performance concert tour in three Asian countries—Korea, Japan, and China.  They gave two performances in Seoul and also performed in Changwon and Gumi before heading off to China for additional performances at the Shanghai Expo.

The Philadelphia Orchestra first performed in Korea in 1978 and most recently performed in Seoul in 2005 and 2008, but their connection to the region is even deeper.  The orchestra, which was founded in 1900, has played a role over the years in U.S. diplomatic efforts, particularly in Asia.  It was the first American orchestra to go to China after President Nixon’s historic visit to China in 1972, performing in Beijing’s Great Hall of the People in 1973, even before we had established diplomatic relations.  More recently, the Philadelphia Orchestra’s visit to Vietnam in 1999 was the first visit by an American orchestra to that country after the U.S. normalized diplomatic relations with Vietnam in 1995.

Philadelphia Orchestra Concert at Sejong Arts Center (Poster used with permission)

The orchestra also has a very special connection to Korea.  안익태 (Ahn Eak-tai), the composer of the Korean national anthem, was a cellist in the Philadelphia Orchestra in the 1930s.  I have always thought the Korean national anthem was uniquely beautiful and singable; it pleased me to learn it has a certain American connection.

Over the years, the orchestra has continued to enchant audiences worldwide.  It has made a special effort to reach out to the younger generation.  Several members of the orchestra graciously volunteered their time in Korea to lead master classes for young aspiring Korean musicians.  

On a splendid spring Saturday, I hosted host four musicians from the orchestra’s Moon Quartet for a special performance at my residence: Marc Rovetti, violin; Daniel Han, violin; Marvin Moon, viola; and Yumi Kendall, cello.  I learned that two of the musicians are Korean American, as is David Kim, the concert master of the full orchestra.  They played Haydn, String Quartet op. 20 #4 in D major and Dvorak, String Quartet op. 96 in F major, “American.”

The pink blossoms of the dogwood tree (산딸나무) in the residence courtyard provided a lovely backdrop for the music and stimulated almost as much admiration and comment as the music.  These beautiful trees, so preval‎ent in the southeastern U.S., including around Washington, DC, are rare in Korea.  Why?  Is it too cold?  And if so, why does the residence tree grow so well?  If any of you netizens can answer these questions, let me know!  

A string quartet from the Philadelphia Orchestra provided beautiful music at the residence.

People often say—probably so often that the expression‎ has become cliché—that “Music, being able to surpass language barriers, is one of the best ways to connect people from different countries and cultures.” It is especially true for the Philadelphia Orchestra, which has served throughout the world as one of the United States’ most visible cultural ambassadors. 

The pink blossoms of the dogwood tree at the residence provide a blaze of spring color.  The tree was planted after the current residence was opened in 1976.