New York Philharmonic committed to cultural ambassadorship

The New York Philharmonic is committed to cultural ambassadorship and to linking the United States and China through music, the head of the New York Philharmonic has said.

From giving performances and building cooperation with the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra and the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, the orchestra's relationship with China dates back decades, Gary Ginstling, president and CEO of the philharmonic, says.

"We are sort of connecting the United States and China through our music. Regardless of what's happening in the world around us, or the challenges between our countries, this connection between music is so important to us and will remain so," he says.

The New York Philharmonic is one of the US' leading orchestras, and one of the oldest musical institutions in the country.

Encouragingly, the New York Philharmonic resumed in-person exchanges with its Chinese partners and audience in 2023, following a yearslong hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Last summer, we were very fortunate to be able to send a group of about nine or 10 musicians to China. I was able to accompany them to Shanghai to begin reawakening our relationship with Chinese musical institutions," Ginstling says, adding that these include the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra and the Shanghai Orchestra Academy.