Performance Venue. (Source: Li Hao)

The Philadelphia Orchestra opened its 2026 China residency with a concert on the evening of November 11 at the Grand Theatre in the Haikou Bay Performing Arts Center.

Founded in 1900, the renowned American orchestra returned to the island after two years, performing classical works by Mozart and Beethoven alongside contemporary music by American composer Jessie Montgomery.

Performance Venue. (Source: Li Hao)

The concert was conducted by Marin Alsop. For the encore, the orchestra performed the Hainan folk song "Oh Wanquan, How Clear Your Waters Are!", blending orchestral music with a local melody and bringing a distinctive Hainan touch to the evening.

Earlier that day, five brass musicians from the orchestra visited Hainan University to rehearse and perform "An Everlasting Invitation," composed by local musician Wang Yanmei, with the Hainan University Symphony Orchestra. The collaboration followed their joint performance of "Oh Wanquan, How Clear Your Waters Are!" in 2024 and offered another opportunity for musical exchange through Hainan's local compositions. Students who took part said that sharing the stage with a leading international orchestra gave them a valuable chance to learn professional performance techniques and teamwork firsthand.

The Philadelphia Orchestra's musical exchanges with China began in 1973, when it became the first major American orchestra to perform there since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949. It has maintained close ties with the country ever since, returning more than a dozen times. In 2026, the exchanges entered their 53rd year, and the orchestra is making its 17th visit to China to perform.

In an interview, Ryan Fleur, the Philadelphia Orchestra President and CEO, said the island had made a lasting impression on the entire ensemble during its first visit to Hainan in 2024, leading the orchestra to begin its 2026 China tour in Haikou. Fleur noted that cultural exchange goes both ways. As orchestra members share their music with audiences in Hainan, they are also deepening their understanding of Chinese culture by sampling local food, visiting museums, and experiencing everyday life on the island.

Fleur said the orchestra hopes to bring these exchanges beyond concert halls to schools and community venues, reaching young students and broader audiences. It also plans to explore additional partnerships with universities and cultural institutions in Hainan.

Since its historic first visit to China in 1973, The Philadelphia Orchestra has maintained musical ties with the country for more than half a century. Now, returning to Hainan as the starting point of its latest China residency, the orchestra continues to bring people from different cultural backgrounds together through concerts and campus collaborations, fostering mutual understanding and strengthening the lasting bonds between the peoples of China and the United States.