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.