New York Philharmonic (NYP) comes to Beijing this weekend, for the local leg of the Asian tour that will next take the orchestra to Pyongyang, Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). While the North Korean concert on February 26 has become the focus of the 2008 tour, Beijing's classic music fans should not miss the two concerts on Saturday and Sunday nights at the National Center for the Performing Arts (National Grand Theater).

After its successful Shanghai debut on Wednesday and Thursday, NYP will play different programs this weekend at the Eggshell. Saturday is Rossini's Overture to La scala di seta, Mendelssohn's Symphony No4 Italian and Tchaikovsky's Symphony No 6 Pathetique. The second night will present Dvorak's Symphony No 7 and Brahms' Symphony 4.

The Maestro Lorin Maazel (pictured) led the NYP to premiere in Beijing at the Fifth Beijing Music Festival right after he became the music director of the orchestra in September 2002. And he is highly looking forward to returning to China.

"I'm happy to bring the orchestra back to China and it is my honor to share great music with audiences in every corner of the world," says the Paris-born American conductor.

"The Philharmonic has a significant record of touring Asia, but this will be our most substantial tour of the region in our history," says Zarin Mehta, NYP's president and executive director.

"As we return to China we are delighted to be making our long-overdue Shanghai debut. We look forward to further deepening our ties with China - and the substantial and growing contribution by China and Chinese musicians to classical music - including those that are a part of the fabric of our own global orchestra." The seven-city, 13-concert tour kicked off with two concerts in Taipei on February 11 and 12 and followed with concerts in Kaohsiung, Hong Kong, Shanghai and now this weekend in Beijing. The tour will wrap up in Seoul on February 28.

For the Hong Kong leg, NYP's associate conductor Zhang Xian, who was born in China, conducted two concerts and the Chinese oboe player Wang Liang, the first oboist of NYP, also performed concertos.

Founded in 1842 by a group of local musicians led by American-born Ureli Corelli Hill, the NYP is by far the oldest symphony orchestra in the United States, and one of the oldest and best in the world.

Since its inception, NYP has championed the new music of its time, giving the first performances of many important works such as Dvorak's Symphony No. 9, From the New World; Rachmaninoff 's Piano Concerto No. 3; Gershwin's Concerto in F; and Copland's Connotations, in addition to the US premieres of works such as Beethoven's Symphonies Nos. 8 and 9 and Brahms's Symphony No. 4. This pioneering tradition has continued to the present day, with works of major contemporary composers regularly scheduled each season.

Chen Jie

7:30 pm. National Center for the Performing Arts, west of Tiananmen Square. 國家大劇院

6655-0000, 4006206006, 6585-5755

(China Daily February 23, 2008)