On the evening of November 7, the 2024 Philadelphia Orchestra (Chengdu Station) Tour Concert was performed at the Wuliangye Cultural and Sports Center General Gymnasium. This was also the closing performance of the 30th "Autumn in Chengdu" Chengdu International Music Season. The

On the evening of November 7, the 2024 Philadelphia Orchestra (Chengdu Station) Tour Concert was performed at the Wuliangye Cultural and Sports Center Gymnasium. This was also the closing performance of the 30th "Autumn in Chengdu" Chengdu International Music Season.

The Philadelphia Orchestra's performance in Chengdu will help Chengdu become an "International Music City". It is an important international artistic exchange and a colorful chapter in the history of "Chengdu Autumn".

The encore performance of "Chengdu" set off a climax

When the notes of the overture of Rachmaninov's "Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini" sounded, the stadium seemed to be instantly injected with a magnificent energy. Rachmaninoff's works have both epic grandeur and delicate musical charm, and "Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini", as a large-scale work with 24 variations on a musical theme, is performed with brilliant skills reflect the composer's personal style. When the performance reaches the famous 18th variation, the entire scene seems to be enveloped in a mysterious and gentle atmosphere. Pianist Li Zhuoyu gently played that simple but magical melody. It was like a ray of warm sunshine, penetrating all the noise and reaching people's hearts. At this moment, time seemed to stand still, and all the listeners were moved by this beautiful melody and immersed in deep emotions.

The second half of the concert began with the magnificent opening of Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9 (From the New World). The entire work is grand in conception and inspiring, and has been praised by many music fans and experts as a must-listen symphony masterpiece in a lifetime. In the splendid performance of the Philadelphia Orchestra, the entire venue was filled with majestic momentum.

After the official program ended, the Chengdu audience, who was shocked by the performance of the top international orchestra, gave warm applause and cheers to the performance of the artists who came from afar. The orchestra then returned to perform the symphony "Chengdu", leading the audience to immerse themselves in "the park city under the snowy mountains and the happy Chengdu in the fireworks", once again pushing the atmosphere to a climax.

Let music enter the city's well-known cultural landmarks

The Philadelphia Orchestra's three-day music tour in Chengdu included 2 symphony performances, 2 pop-up activities, and 1 art exchange and interaction. The sound of classical music passed through the walls of the theater concert hall. Going deep into the streets and alleys of Chengdu, more citizens can listen to the performances of the world's top musicians around them.

The melodious music sounded in the Tianfu Art Museum, and the musicians performed many classic pieces live for the audience in the form of a quartet; in the Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Research Base art gallery, the artists performed Sarasette's "The Waves" Una Cabeza" and other tracks. Interestingly, the Philadelphia Orchestra specially performed the classic piece "Butterfly Lovers" from China.

On November 6, the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Chengdu Symphony Orchestra jointly presented a fully programmed symphony concert at the Chengdu Symphony Orchestra Concert Hall. The Philadelphia Orchestra attaches great importance to interaction with young musicians and hopes to cultivate more new generations of musical talents in the future. This ensemble performance by the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Chengdu Symphony Orchestra perfectly responded to this theme. Through the borderless language of music, the two groups jointly composed a colorful and beautiful urban "symphony" movement.

The encounter between high-concentration theatrical performances and multi-scenario cultural consumption demonstrates Chengdu’s cultural consumption level and resource allocation capabilities, and also expresses the citizens’ true love for culture and art. The music atmosphere presented by Chengdu makes the Philadelphia Orchestra Amazed. In their view, the group of classical music fans in Chengdu is very large, and they can feel people's love and respect for music.

Ma Siyi, President and CEO of the Philadelphia Orchestra, said: "This is the first time for the Philadelphia Orchestra to come to Chengdu, so we are embarking on a journey of discovery and let this be the beginning of a long and beautiful friendship. I admire Chengdu very much for wanting to The Philadelphia Orchestra is excited to do all we can to help Chengdu achieve this goal.I think it is very valuable to invite the Philadelphia Orchestra to come to Chengdu to experience the city in person, feel the art and culture here, engage in cultural cooperation, and demonstrate the power of music.”

Red Star News reporter Zhang Shihao editor Zeng Qi