A friendship built through music and travel between China and the Philadelphia Orchestra

The special new year performance also featured soloists from the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, including Yu Hongmei, president of the conservatory and an erhu virtuoso, and pipa virtuoso Zhang Hongyan.

"The Philadelphia Orchestra has a long and special relationship with China. Over the years, the orchestra has visited many different cities, worked closely with Chinese musicians and performed for audiences across the country," said Ma Yunfei, director of the China National Tourist Office in New York and co-host of the concert. "These exchanges have always been about more than music. They are about openness and learning from one another."

Ma said he hopes audiences can get a glimpse of Chinese music and, in the near future, travel to China to experience the country through music.

Ryan Fleur, president and CEO of the Philadelphia Orchestra, also recalled the orchestra's tours to China and the decades-long friendship between the orchestra and the country.

"More than five decades later, that historic moment continues to inspire a deep and enduring commitment to cultural exchange and artistic collaboration," Fleur said.

Fleur said he has personally traveled to China nearly 20 times over the years to help build connections. The orchestra has visited many cities across China and has also brought Chinese orchestras to the US. He added that the Lunar New Year concert has been a tradition since 2019.

As part of the two-day celebration, the Central Conservatory of Music Chinese Orchestra will also present a special Chinese New Year concert at the Kimmel Center's Perelman Theater.

The performance brought together Eastern and Western musical traditions, featuring the sounds of traditional Chinese instruments.

"It's always wonderful to see a unique instrument. The performers are mesmerizing. It's such a dedication and such endurance that they have to it," audience member Carol Beringer told China Daily.

Beringer said she wishes to travel to China soon. "I wish I had gone, and I will go."