The Philadelphia Orchestra: Related Events
Dive deeper into the Orchestra’s long history of cultural exchange
As The Philadelphia Orchestra’s visit draws near, CPA wants to keep you updated on all the opportunities to learn about the various social, political, and historical contexts of their performance. Together with our campus community partners, we’ve assembled a range of public events for the week of this exciting visit. Read below to register and learn more.
PUBLIC DISCUSSIONS
Two Weeks of Discovery
Philadelphia Orchestra Musicians Davyd Booth & Renard Edwards Recall 1973 China Tour
When: Tuesday, Sept. 19, 5–6 PM
Where: CURRENT Studio
In this public conversation, long-time Orchestra musicians Davyd Booth and Renard Edwards share their stories of visiting China with the Orchestra 50 years ago. Hosted by Douglas Shadle, Associate Professor of Musicology at Vanderbilt University and author of Orchestrating the Nation: The Nineteenth-Century American Symphonic Enterprise, this exchange will focus on oral history and the power of musical dialogue and friendship.
This event is free. Registration is required.
Program Notes Live: Florence Price
Douglas Shadle and Nicole Jordan Pre-Performance Conversation
When: Wednesday, Sept. 20, 6:30–7:15 PM
Where: Moeser Auditorium in Hill Hall
The luminous music of composer Florence B. Price (1887–1953), the first African American woman to earn international acclaim for her classical works, is taking the world by storm after decades of posthumous neglect. Under the direction of Music and Artistic Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin, the Philadelphia Orchestra has become a leader in Price advocacy, having earned a Grammy Award for its recording of her First and Third Symphonies. Orchestra Principal Librarian Nicole Jordan joins Price scholar Douglas Shadle of Vanderbilt University in a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to breathe new life into great music of the past.
This event is free. Registration is required.
Program Notes Live: Hello Gold Mountain
Douglas Shadle and Matías Tarnopolsky Pre-Performance Conversation
When: Thursday, Sept. 21, 6:30–7:15 PM
Where: Moeser Auditorium in Hill Hall
Set in the tumultuous context of war-torn China in the 1940s, composer Wu Fei’s Hello Gold Mountain captures the extraordinary experience of European Jewish refugees who fled to Shanghai during the Nazi era and then to California at the dawn of Communist rule. This exploration of unstable cultural convergence, a “requiem for lost possibilities,” offers an opportunity for profound reflection on identity, loss, and hope in times of global upheaval. Musicologist Douglas Shadle joins Philadelphia Orchestra and Kimmel Center, Inc., CEO Matías Tarnopolsky in conversation to explore the contemporary and historical significance of this work, and its relationship to intersecting Jewish and Chinese identities.
This event is free. Registration is required.
OPEN CLASSROOMS
Hello Gold Mountain with Wu Fei
Hosted by Music 120: Foundations of Music
When: Wednesday, Sept. 20, 10:10–11:25 AM
Where: Hill Hall, Room 107
Hello Gold Mountain is an original composition by Wu Fei, featuring Wu Fei on guzheng and Shanir Ezra Blumenkranz (Silk Road Ensemble) on oud—the traditional Chinese and Jewish plucked string instruments, respectively. The work is inspired by real stories of Jewish refugees who fled to Shanghai from Europe before and during World War II and went on to build their lives in China.
In this “open classroom” presentation by Wu Fei, students and the public are invited to learn more about the history of Hello Gold Mountain and explore important questions: What musical possibilities were lost because the times did not allow neighbors from these different cultures to grow old together, sharing songs and stories? What artistic creations will be lost if Europe and the United States close the door to refugees and migrants from lands in chaos?
This event is free. Registration is required.
Orchestra Member Blair Bollinger, Brass
Hosted by Mike Kris
When: Wednesday, Sept. 20, 3–5 PM
Where: Moeser Auditorium in Hill Hall
This event is free. Registration is required.
Orchestra Member Yumi Kendall, Cello
Hosted by Brent Wissick
When: Wednesday, Sept. 20, 3–4 PM
Where: Hill Hall, Room 107
This event is free. Registration is required.
Orchestra Member Paul Arnold, Violin
Hosted by Nick DiEugenio
When: Wednesday, Sept. 20, 4–5 PM
Where: Hill Hall, Room 107
This event is free. Registration is required.
Orchestra Member Carol Jantsch, Tuba
Hosted by Mike Kris and Heidi Radtke
When: Thursday, Sept. 21, 3–4 PM
Where: Moeser Auditorium in Hill Hall
This event is free. Registration is required.
Women in Professional Music
Carol Jantsch and Heidi Radtke in Conversation
When: Thursday, Sept. 21, 4–5 PM
Where: Moeser Auditorium in Hill Hall
This event is free. Registration is required.
MORE INFORMATION
The Philadelphia Orchestra will perform at Memorial Hall on September 20 and 21. For more information on their upcoming visit, check out our event page.
Questions? Call us at 919.843.3333 or email us at carolinaperformingarts@unc.edu. Our box office is open 12–5 PM on weekdays. For more details about CPA ticketing policies, please visit our FAQ page.
