The Philadelphia Orchestra returns to China for tour marking 50 years since its historic 1973 visit

The Philadelphia Orchestra returned to Beijing on Tuesday for a tour that will mark 50 years since its historic performance in China, the latest sign of improving ties between the two countries ahead of a highly anticipated meeting between Presidents Joe Biden and Xi Jinping. The orchestra first visited China in September 1973, marking a thaw in U.S.-China relations just as the two nations began normalizing ties after Richard Nixon became the first U.S. president to visit China’s mainland. Ahead of the tour, the orchestra said 14 of its members will be traveling to China, including 73-year old Davyd Booth, a violinist who was on the orchestra’s first tour to the country half a century ago.