- No.
- the historic 1973 core. So I went and I was very familiar with China. I mean, I had lived there, I had
- written about it since, you know, for decades, really. And I was really surprised when I traveled with
- the orchestra to see kind of the response of Chinese audiences to the Philadelphia Orchestra. There
- was a real sense of nostalgia for this orchestra and I was
- by the way that the audience for classical music had grown so much. You know, I have a cousin who was
- a classical musician, a pianist, and she went to the Shanghai Conservatory during the Cultural Revolution
- year, so I was kind of familiar with how things had been kind of closed for so long. But in 2008, there
- was a real
- interest in classical music that had been kind of revived. And so I really felt like this was a chapter
- of US history that not many people knew, but that was very important. And I also thought there was kind
- of a broader story to tell. As I kind of dug more into the classical music scene, the thing that surprised
- me the most is just how it was growing so much.
- Here in the United States, a lot of orchestras are struggling financially and for audience. If you go,
- the Philadelphia Orchestra is one of the best in the country. And we have a phenomenal conductor, Yannick
- Mises again. But even with his dynamism and the excellence of the orchestra, it's hard to fill the concert
- hall. The audience is very old. When I was filming this,
- I went on tour with the orchestra three times. And what really surprised me is going into Comfort Halls
- in Shanghai in Beijing and seeing how it was a very young audience compared to American audiences. I
- saw a lot of families. I saw a lot of couples. So the big surprise, I think, in doing this film was
- there is a bright spot
- in the world of classical music, and it's in China. So. That is awesome. And yeah, I really, I guess
- I just want to have to thank Philadelphia Orchestra and musicians like them for the kind of education
- exposure that I have been given when I was a kid growing up in China. Yeah.
- And I have a question for Karina, our event organizer as well. Karina reached out to both Jennifer and
- me about this event, and she really just wanted to share this film with all of you here today. So I
- wanted to know, what was your first reaction watching the film? What were some of the most memorable
- parts? And tell us a little bit about your journey and how this film had inspired you to actually
- go to China this year. My initial reaction to the film is I was so amazed. I was fortunate to have had
- music lessons in school. Unfortunately, they still had elementary music. And I got to take lessons through
- high school and college. So we are, as you said in the film, seeing less and less of that. It's hard to watch.
- from this in knowing I was able to take this class, but the students now might not be able to. So I
- loved seeing that in the film that there's still so many great music opportunities for performers and
- people who are in watch events and seeing how you mentioned how music does connect us and we can enjoy
- it anywhere we're in the world now.
- When I became aware of this film, I was remembering and thinking about what I'd say to me. I remember
- I had just left my third shift job. This was the time in my life I was working three jobs. I worked 16 to 6 a.m.
- at a factory. I was leaving there, heading to my house to shower, change, doing my day job at 35. And
- I was trying to unlock out China at this time.
- wanted to do everything I could to get a better understanding and impression of the country and culture
- on the side of the ocean as I could before I made it. So I had your interview with University of Southern
- California queued up. And then we were driving home listening to that. And I instantly, I just needed
- to see this documentary. As a musician and the name of a tradition, the title caught my attention.
- and then as an international refugee from China, seeing that game and understanding of the music scene
- in China just made me so much, made me feel so much better connected to my home country and answer questions
- I didn't know I had. It made me feel like I had things back from my past that I didn't know was missing.
- So I think I just wanted to
- Well, congratulations, happy birthday. When you're there, you're going to have to go to a concert.
- The Beijing Concert Hall is just spectacular. They call it the big egg, and you saw it in the film,
- but you definitely have to go. Yes. In the film, I remember Yannick said Beethoven would be very surprised
- if he got that. The Canadian conductor and the Chinese singers were performing his work. I think he
- would be really glad to know that this music is inspiring. So he got it from China to go back
- her birthplace, and a sense of connection with classical music. That's really neat. Okay, so I want
- to give most of the rest of the time to you all, and see if you have any questions after watching Bezel
- Thank You, Beijing. And we don't have a mic here, so I would just like to ask you to speak loudly, and
- we will also repeat the question to Jennifer.
- What was your biggest challenge filming in China? Well, filming in China is difficult. You don't have
- the same freedom of movement that you do here in the US. So for instance, we were staying in Beijing
- at the Hyatt Hotel, which is just off Tiananmen Square near the Forbidden City.
- And we wanted to go out on the sidewalk just to interview people about classical music and whether they
- knew the Philadelphia Orchestra. But of course, you're not allowed to do that in China. You need permission.
- And we were filming in a park, and we were told to leave and not film. So it's just quite a different
- atmosphere for a journalist or filmmaker in China
- versus the US. The other thing that was challenging is distilling the story. We knew that we wanted
- to tell the history. So the first third of the movie is about what happened in 1973. But we wanted to
- use that as a starting point and really convey kind of this revival of interest in classical music over
- the last 40, 50 years.
- had a classical music tradition. There were two very good conservatories in the 30s, the 40s. When 1949
- with the creation of the People's Republic of China, the conservatories were still operating. But what
- happened to China, what disrupted the appreciation of classical music was the Cultural Revolution.
- So there was this 10-year period where, as the movie explains, that classical Western music was not
- permitted. So it was something I wanted to convey, the evolution, the revival of the classical music
- scene. And so as a storyteller, that was really challenging.
- You want to tell a big story, but you also don't want to overwhelm your audience. So I hope I didn't
- overwhelm you, and I hope I was able to convey it. And the other thing that we wanted to convey is the
- contrast to the United States. For instance, China has invested a lot in music education over the decades.
- And unfortunately, in a lot of school districts in America, music programs are being cut.
- So there was this kind of tension that is somewhat ironic, you know, that someone like Long Long had
- to help a school in Philadelphia to, you know, maintain their music program. So it's kind of ironic.
- And so we had a lot that we wanted to do with this film. So it was ambitious that way. And so that,
- as a director, that was a huge challenge.
- So I just want to say thank you so much, Jennifer, for this beautiful film. I really appreciated the
- historical context, especially moving from the 1973 connection and interaction then. And then over time,
- the beauty of it is that it evolved that relationship
- turning to up to now, it's still continuous with this sort of like soft diplomacy. I'm actually curious,
- I guess my question is, where is that relationship at the moment given the political climate and foreign
- policy status that we have with China? Yeah, well, thank you for your question and for your
- You're interested in the felt. But again, one of the reasons I wanted to tell this degree is I feel
- like it's an example of cultural diplomacy and why it really matters to have exchanges like this. And
- unfortunately, I don't know what will kind of happen moving forward. I can tell you with the Philadelphia
- Orchestra that they have maintained
- Chinese organizations, orchestras, and audiences. They went to China last year. I don't know if there
- are plans to go next year or this year. And I just do think, unfortunately, the political environment
- is such that it might be difficult for orchestras to continue the way they had been.
- The Shaggy Philharmonic has been to Philadelphia to perform. And there were a lot of exchanges prior
- to the whole pandemic. So I'm not sure what's going to happen with, again, at least with the Philadelphia
- Orchestra, that they remain committed. But other orchestras that have been traveling to China, American,
- Chinese, it's a little
- are heading. And unfortunately, you can't ignore the political environment and how it's deteriorating
- so much. So hopefully, we can continue exchanges like this, because I think it really helps to temper
- the political voice. So I think it's very important. Thank you.
- So again, I've got to echo everyone else's sentiments. Thank you so much for making this film. This
- was a really interesting piece to watch. So in the film, it was mentioned that, obviously, during the
- Cultural Revolution, access to Western music and the attitude towards Western music was very much not
- allowed. And then afterwards, it kind of saw this resurgence in interest from all these musicians who
- hadn't been able to access that during that time period.
- I'm kind of wondering on from like a music education standpoint, because again, something else was mentioned
- was that you, in China, it's very normal for kids from a very young age to start in classical music
- lessons, just like we would in sports over here. In your experience in making this film, did you find,
- and from your own research as a journalist, do you find that the sort of popular attitude or opinion
- in China with like,
- Western music versus traditional Chinese music, is there one preferred over the other when it comes
- to exposing kids to classical music from an early age? Yeah, I can't answer that question for the rest,
- whether there's more or less interest in traditional Chinese music. But it is so interesting what has
- happened in China over the last 50 years, because
- And I attribute it to three factors. With the Cultural Revolution, this interest in classical music
- was repressed. And people were not allowed to study it, play it, listen to it. And so when the Cultural
- Revolution ended, it was like there was a lot of pent-up demand and interest in this particular art form.
- The other thing that happened in China is, again, as you pointed out, there was an investment in music
- education. I think it was Jiang Zemin, when he was president, that he implemented music education as
- a priority. And then for whether or not it's the traditional versus Western-style music, whether one
- is more popular than the other, there's no denying the log log
- you know, Lang Lang achieves superstardom. And I think as a result of that, you know, the other trend
- that we've had in China over the last 40 years is the economic, you know, revival of China and the emergence
- of a middle class. And so every parent wants their child to succeed. And in China, many,
- parents equate that with one way of succeeding with music and mastering the violin and the piano and
- wanting your child to be the next Long Long. Just a side note, I mentioned this in the film, but in
- Philadelphia, we have the Curtis Institute. And the man who was the professor for Long Long, Gary Grafton, was also
- the professor for Yujiawong and John Halchen. And I mean, between the three of them, they're like superstars
- around the world as pianists. So I think the success of people like Yujiawong and Longhong has maybe
- inspired Chinese parents. I don't know. I'm assuming. So maybe there's some of the audience who can
- add some insight into that.
- I'll actually just add a little bit to that. Growing up. I can't hear. I'll add just a little bit to
- that. It was a really good question. And from my own experience, I actually also came from a nonprofit
- where Tendon grew up. And growing up, there was a sense that traditional Chinese music was
- always ever-present in the family.
- Grandparents were opera singers, and they did art, and I got to just do that as a part of family tradition,
- but Western music was something very valued, and I had to spend extra time to learn and comprehend,
- because it wasn't from, naturally from my homeland. So there was this sentiment of,
- You know that it's something foreign, but there's so much access to it. Any other questions? Hi.
- First of all, I'd like to say thank you very much for this film. I really enjoyed it. I learned about
- the cultural revolution from time during classes last semester. So I really see how it resonates here.
- So my question is.
- In your opinion, what do you think is the trajectory of music education in China? Do you think that
- classical music or Western music in general would be to the detriment of local music themselves? That's
- a hard question for me to answer. First of all, I finished recording this movie in 2019.
- A lot has happened. And I'm just being honest with you, I don't know kind of what's happening in China
- with music education. Daixuan, maybe you can add to that? Yeah, and just a little clarification. I came
- to the States as a chief student in 2014. So I grew up in the 2000s, not really clear of what is happening
- but when I was growing up, it was very much part of daily life. But again, I have not been back on court
- for more than the past 10 years, so we can't speak to the present time. I don't have a question or comment,
- but I'll just comment. I saw my former bosses there. You interviewed Jennifer, Ambassador Nicholas Platt.
- Oh, yeah. So they served.
- as ambassador to the Philippines in 1987, 88, 1989, yeah. So I'm like, whoa, what's he doing there?
- So I didn't realize that he was, he played a role when he was a young diplomat during the Reagan
- administration. Yeah, it's amazing. Nick and his wife, Sheila.
- Sheila passed away. But they were just wonderful. Actually, Nick has a book. I'm looking at my bookshelf
- to see where it is. Nick wrote a book about his China years. So in it, there's a chapter about the visit
- of the Philadelphia Orchestra because he was on the ground an officer in
- what was then just the US office in China. We didn't have an embassy at the time. And so his job was
- basically to hold the hand of Eugene Ormandy and to take him around China and to make sure nothing went
- awry. Sheila, his wife, is a pistol. I mean, she's so funny. And she, you know,
- And her job was to also entertain the Armedies. But Sheila wrote a diary of when she was in China. And
- so I ended up writing a book about the whole 1973 tour. It's also called Beethoven and Beijing. It was
- my COVID project because we finished
- the film in 2020. And our premiere was, we were going to have it at the Academy of Music in Philadelphia.
- It was going to be this big to do. And of course, no one was getting together in theater, so it had
- to be virtual. But anyway, during this time of seclusion, I decided to take all my research that I had
- done and to write an oral history.
- of the tour, really including a lot of the memories and the voices of the people who were on the tour.
- But I go back to Sheila because she had written this diary of her time with the Philadelphia Orchestra.
- And I was able, and Nick Platt shared that with me, so I was able to use some of her wry, funny observations
- in the oral history.
- But Nick Platt is just wonderful. He has gone back many times with the Philadelphia Orchestra, and it's
- really helped them to maintain and cultivate this relationship with Chinese audiences. So Nick Platt
- played a very important role. Were you working as a diplomat in the Philippines? No, I was an FSA, the
- Filipino Staff National at the US
- We used to be, there was a U.S. Information Agency, U.S. Information Service that actually handles the
- cultural affairs of the U.S. State Department. So the USIA reports to the U.S. Embassy, and Nick Platt
- was the ambassador at that time. And he visited our little town in Mindanao, and I had to help gather everyone
- for the ambassador. Cultural diplomacy is very important. And in 2023, I was able to travel to China
- to show the film at the US Embassy in Beijing and at the consulates in Shanghai and Guangzhou.
- And so the embassy and the consulates would invite Chinese people to come watch the film. And so it
- was very nice and it was very good to kind of share it with the Chinese audience because it's very different
- than when you share it with an American audience. I also did a screening in Hong Kong, two screenings
- actually in Hong Kong. But unfortunately, the film cannot be shown
- on Chinese TV because I talk about the Cultural Revolution and because the film includes images of Mao's
- wife, Jiang Qing. And I was told that if I took out those scenes, they would be able to get it past
- censors. But I wasn't willing to do that. I mean, that to me is an important part of the story. And
- the other ironic thing is my film
- is actually a positive film about the US and China. So it's unfortunate that it can't be shown for that
- reason. So, Mei Banfa. Yeah. Well, thank you. I actually have a question based off what you just said.
- But also, thank you so much. This film was very interesting and very educational, because I don't know
- much about the history of the film, Philadelphia Harmonic, with going to China.
- So you just mentioned that this film was screened in China when you were back in 2023 and several times
- in Hong Kong and that the reaction was different. So I was curious kind of what is the typical reaction
- or how it's perceived by audiences in Hong Kong and of course mainland China versus Western or American
- audiences.
- Yeah, I mean, the reaction was great in Hong Kong and in the Chinese cities that I appeared. The reason
- I say it was different is Americans don't have a very deep understanding of world history. And you have
- to take them by the hand, American audiences, and explain what was the Cultural Revolution.
- even my editor, who's a young woman, she thought it was a positive thing, because it was about culture,
- and it's like, no. So in terms of the different responses in Chinese audiences, they made the explanation.
- And I think people were kind of, I think they appreciated that
- We weren't just focusing on China, but the kind of the two-way street where the Shanghai Philharmonic
- came to Philadelphia to perform the work of a Chinese composer. So I think people were perhaps surprised,
- but pleasantly surprised by things like that. You probably have a question for,
- I have time for one more question. Would you like to take it? Am I able to be heard back here now? Can
- you hear me? Yes. Yes? OK. Thank you for a splendiferous and inspirational film. Absolutely spectacular.
- It has been, I think, discovered recently that listening to Beethoven's music actually strengthens
- connections in the auditory cortex and stimulates neuroplasticity.
- But I want to get right to my question. From the lens of a person with experience of a reporter, were
- there comments, video clips, or interviews that you were unable to include? You mentioned censorship
- of the Cultural Revolution footage due to film, confiscation, time constraints, editing concerns, or
- even budgeting issues. Again, thank you very much. Yeah, the budgeting issues are very
- It's a very severe issue. It's very expensive to make a film like this. And it costs, our budget was
- a million dollars. We were very fortunate to get a grant from the government, the National Endowment
- for Humanities, a wonderful program that has been totally guided by the current administration.
- didn't include in the film and took out were just editorial decisions, mostly, because we were trying
- to streamline the story and not go off into too many tangents. But in terms of the impact of Beethoven
- on listeners, I'll tell you, one of the highlights of this whole project was being in Beijing inside
- the Big A concert hall, hearing the Philadelphia Orchestra with the Chinese choir singing Beethoven's
- 9th. I mean, I get chills just thinking about it. And in the editing process, you sit with your editor,
- you have to go over and over and over scenes to get it right. But to be able to listen to that so much
- was just joyful. And there was one moment at the end of Beethoven's 9th where
- The old couple who we had been following, they were in the audience. And I could see them standing ovation
- and applauding. And afterwards, the husband told me, he said, he had tears in his eyes. He's never heard
- anything so beautiful. So it was just a real kind of existential moment to be hearing Beethoven in that
- environment.
- that the film could convey a little bit of that. But for me, actually being in that concert hall and
- hearing the music and feeling it, boy, that was special. Thank you. Thank you, Jennifer, so much for
- being here. And it is a real special treat to be able to talk to you immediately after watching the
- film. If you could stay on just for one more minute where it goes, don't pick
- One lucky winner today to take home a signed version of Jennifer's book, based on what she wrote in
- Beijing. So I have the winner.