50th anniversary of the Philadelphia Orchestra visiting China

Davyd Booth came to China for the first time in 1973 when he had just joined the Philadelphia Orchestra as a violinist.

Booth had never traveled outside of the United States at that time, so coming to China, then a country unfamiliar to the American people, was an unbelievable experience.

"I never dreamed at that time how important that trip was and as to what influence it would have on my life," Booth said on Wednesday. The 73-year-old violin player is among 14 members of the orchestra who arrived in Beijing on Tuesday for a tour to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 1973 historic trip.

After more than two decades of estrangement between China and the US since 1949, a total of 104 Philadelphia Orchestra musicians kicked off a 10-day visit to China in September of 1973, bringing Debussy, Beethoven, Schubert, and Brahms, along with the Yellow River Concerto to the Chinese audience.

Following then-US President Richard Nixon's visit to China in 1972 that normalized relations between the two countries, the orchestra's trip helped demystify the Chinese who the Americans were and in reverse as well.

Booth said if the 1973 trip is like planting a seed, "we see that seed germinate and grow into a lush, lush vegetation."

As the first American orchestra to perform in China in 1973, the Philadelphia Orchestra is currently making its 13th visit to the country. Besides Beijing, the musicians will also travel to Tianjin, Suzhou and Shanghai.

"It (the 1973 visit) affected us very deeply, both professionally and personally," Booth said.

He also noted that China has grown into one of the biggest players in the classical music field with wonderful soloists and instrumentalists all over the world.

"Even more importantly and even more personally, we have quite a few Chinese members of the Philadelphia Orchestra. China has literally become a part of us," Booth said.

Matias Tarnopolsky, president and CEO of the Philadelphia Orchestra and Kimmel Center, said it is a collaboration between the US and Chinese partners that made the current trip happen.

"We are here because we believe deeply the music can express thoughts and ideas that the words alone cannot convey," he said.