N E W S R E L E A S E FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 11, 2019 Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin to Lead The Philadelphia Orchestra on 2019 Tour of Asia October 31–November 10, 2019 Tour will include concerts in Taipei, Kyoto, Tokyo, Incheon, and Seoul with soloists Seong-Jin Cho, Haochen Zhang, and Lisa Batiashvili (Philadelphia, July 11, 2019)—Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin will lead The Philadelphia Orchestra on a 2019 Tour of Asia, October 31–November 10, 2019. The tour will feature eight concerts in five cities: Taipei, Kyoto, Tokyo, Incheon, and Seoul. Pianists Seong-Jin Cho and Haochen Zhang and violinist Lisa Batiashvili will join as soloists. “We are proud to be ‘Your Philadelphia Orchestra’ not just in our beloved Philadelphia communities and across the country, but also around the globe,” said Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin. “We look forward to reconnecting with audiences in Asia as we collaborate with incredible soloists to share the joy of music on our journey.” “The relationships we have built around the world continue to inspire us,” said President and CEO Matías Tarnopolsky. “It is extraordinary to witness the chemistry between Yannick and the musicians of the Orchestra, and to share this special connection with global audiences is particularly rewarding.” Tour Concert Schedule Taipei: Oct. 31 at National Concert Hall, National Chiang Kai-Shek Cultural Center Taipei: Nov.1 at National Concert Hall, National Chiang Kai-Shek Cultural Center Kyoto: Nov. 3 at Kyoto Concert Hall Tokyo: Nov. 4 at Suntory Hall Tokyo: Nov. 5 at Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre Concert Hall Tokyo: Nov. 7 at NHK Hall Incheon: Nov. 9 at Arts Center Incheon Seoul: Nov. 10 at Seoul Arts Center Click here for a complete listing of concert information. Taipei During the opening concert of the tour, the Orchestra will perform Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 1 (with Seong-Jin Cho) and Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9 (“From the New World”). The second concert will feature Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto (with Lisa Batiashvili) and Mahler’s Symphony No. 5. The Philadelphia Orchestra first performed in Taipei in 1999 with Music Director Wolfgang Sawallisch. Subsequent visits took place in 2005 under Music Director Christoph Eschenbach and in 2014 during Nézet-Séguin’s inaugural tour with the Orchestra. Kyoto and Tokyo The concerts on November 3, 5, and 7 will feature Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 (with Haochen Zhang) and Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9 (“From the New World”). The concert on November 4 will feature Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto (with Lisa Batiashvili) and Mahler’s Symphony No. 5. The November 7 concert, part of the prestigious NHK Festival, will be broadcast on NHK television throughout Japan. The Philadelphia Orchestra first toured Tokyo in 1967 under Music Director Eugene Ormandy during the Orchestra’s first tour of Asia. The 2019 Tour of Asia will mark the Orchestra’s 15th visit to Tokyo and its second visit to Kyoto. Incheon and Seoul The Orchestra will perform Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 1 (with Seoul-born Seong-Jin Cho) and Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9 (“From the New World”). This will be The Philadelphia Orchestra’s debut in Incheon, one of Philadelphia’s sister cities, and the first time an American orchestra has performed at the Arts Center Incheon. The Orchestra has visited Seoul eight times throughout its history, beginning in 1978 under Ormandy, and most recently in 2017 under Nézet-Séguin. Patron Tour The Orchestra is planning a Patron Tour as part of the 2019 Tour of Asia. From October 31–November 9, 2019, the Patron Tour will take place in Kyoto and Tokyo, including all four Orchestra concerts during that time, a variety of tourism activities in and around the two cities, and special opportunities to interact with Orchestra musicians and leadership. For more information, contact Mitch Bassion at 215.893.1811 or [email protected]. Supporters The Philadelphia Orchestra’s 2019 Tour of Asia is made possible through the generous support of valued sponsors and partners. Temple University is the official education partner of the tour. Morgan Lewis is the official legal partner. Tour support is also provided by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development and the Philadelphia Convention & Visitor’s Bureau. In addition to these sponsors, a number of partners who work closely with The Philadelphia Orchestra, including Team Pennsylvania, the City of Philadelphia, and Philadelphia International Airport, will join parts of the tour to recruit investment and jobs to the Philadelphia region. About The Philadelphia Orchestra # # # CONTACTS: Ashley Berke 215.893.1939 [email protected] Natalie Lewis 215.893.3136 [email protected] Alexa Vecchione 215.893.3142 [email protected] 2019 Tour of Asia *Please note: Repertoire and artists are subject to change Thursday, October 31 7:30 PM National Concert Hall, Taipei Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor Seong-Jin Cho Piano Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 1 Dvořák Symphony No. 9 (“From the New World”) Friday, November 1 7:30 PM National Concert Hall, Taipei Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor Lisa Batiashvili Violin Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto Mahler Symphony No. 5 Sunday, November 3 3:00 PM Kyoto Concert Hall, Kyoto Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor Haochen Zhang Piano Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2 Dvořák Symphony No. 9 (“From the New World”) Monday, November 4 4:00 PM Suntory Hall, Tokyo Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor Lisa Batiashvili Violin Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto Mahler Symphony No. 5 Tuesday, November 5 7:00 PM Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre Concert Hall, Tokyo Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor Haochen Zhang Piano Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2 Dvořák Symphony No. 9 (“From the New World”) Thursday, November 7 3:00 PM NHK Hall, Tokyo Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor Haochen Zhang Piano Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2 Dvořák Symphony No. 9 (“From the New World”) Saturday, November 9 6:00 PM Arts Center Incheon, Incheon Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor Seong-Jin Cho Piano Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 1 Dvořák Symphony No. 9 (“From the New World”) Sunday, November 10 5:00 PM Seoul Arts Center, Seoul Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor Seong-Jin Cho Piano Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 1 Dvořák Symphony No. 9 (“From the New World”) N E W S R E L E A S E FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 15, 2019 The Philadelphia Orchestra Deepens People-to-People Exchange in China with Residency Activities in Shanghai and Beijing Following 2019 Tour of Asia Activities to include side-by-side chamber concerts, coaching sessions, master classes, and more with partners ShanghaiTech University, the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra, and the China Conservatory of Music (Philadelphia, October 15, 2019)—Following The Philadelphia Orchestra’s 2019 Tour of Asia, October 31 to November 10, 2019, a string quartet will travel to China for residency activities that further the Orchestra’s commitment to people-to-people exchange through music. In Shanghai from November 11 through 13, Orchestra musicians will join members of the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra in collaborative activities at ShanghaiTech University, as part of a new three-year strategic partnership designed to provide world-class musical performances on campus and to engage students in musical activities that inspire innovation and creativity. In Beijing from November 14 through 16, the musicians will engage in activities at the China Conservatory of Music. Participating in the residency will be violinist Mei Ching Huang, Associate Principal Second Violin Paul Roby, violist Meng Wang, and Principal Cello Hai-Ye Ni. Residency activities include: Monday, November 11 at 7:00 PM: Documentary screening at ShanghaiTech ShanghaiTech University will host a screening of a documentary from the January 29, 2019, Chinese New Year concert in Philadelphia featuring The Philadelphia Orchestra and members of the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra. Tuesday, November 12 at 10:30 AM: Open rehearsal at ShanghaiTech Students, faculty, and staff of ShanghaiTech will attend the quartet’s rehearsal with members of the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra. Tuesday, November 12 at 2:00 PM: Open rehearsal at ShanghaiTech Students, faculty, and staff of ShanghaiTech will attend the quartet’s rehearsal with members of the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra. Tuesday, November 12 at 7:00 PM: Student performance and coaching sessions at ShanghaiTech The ShanghaiTech Student Orchestra will perform and receive coaching and feedback from Philadelphia Orchestra musicians to enhance their musical cultivation and arts education. Wednesday, November 13 at 11:30 AM: Panel discussion at ShanghaiTech Philadelphia Orchestra musicians will join a panel discussion about their career development and inspirations, open to students of ShanghaiTech University. Wednesday, November 13 at 2:30 PM: Open rehearsal at ShanghaiTech Students, faculty, and staff of ShanghaiTech will attend the quartet’s rehearsal with members of the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra. Wednesday, November 13 at 7:00 PM: Side-by-side chamber concert at ShanghaiTech Musicians of The Philadelphia Orchestra will perform side-by-side with musicians of the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra in a special chamber concert. Thursday, November 14 at 7:00 PM: Open rehearsal at China Conservatory of Music Students, faculty, and staff of the China Conservatory of Music will attend the quartet’s rehearsal with members of the Orchestra Academia China (中国乐派交响乐团). Friday, November 15 at 10:30 AM: Master classes at China Conservatory of Music Philadelphia Orchestra musicians and administrators will give master classes to students of the China Conservatory of Music. Friday, November 15 at 2:00 PM: Open rehearsal at China Conservatory of Music Students, faculty, and staff of the China Conservatory of Music will attend the quartet’s rehearsal with members of the Orchestra Academia China. Saturday, November 16 at 10:30 AM: Open rehearsal at China Conservatory of Music Students, faculty, and staff of the China Conservatory of Music will attend the quartet’s rehearsal with members of the Orchestra Academia China.