Performance Venue. (Source: Hainan Daily)

The Philadelphia Orchestra opened its 2026 China residency with two concerts in Haikou on November 11 and 12. Featuring a selection of Western orchestral works spanning the classical, romantic, and modern periods, Marin Alsop conducted both performances, with a Chinese pianist Zhang Haochen joining the orchestra for the second.

The November 12 concert opened with Brahms's "Academic Festival Overture". Zhang Haochen joined the orchestra for Beethoven's "Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat Major", known as the "Emperor Concerto." Dvořák's "Symphony No. 7 in D Minor" brought the evening to a close.

Performance Venue. (Source: Hainan Daily)

The previous evening's concert featured works by Mozart, Beethoven, and other composers. The program included the overture to Mozart's "The Marriage of Figaro", his "Symphony No. 40 in G Minor", a piece by contemporary American composer Jessie Montgomery, and Beethoven's "Symphony No. 1 in C Major".

"Music can convey thoughts and ideas that words cannot fully capture," said David Kim, concertmaster of the Philadelphia Orchestra. He hoped the orchestra could use music to promote understanding and deepen exchanges among different cultures.

This was the orchestra's second visit to Hainan. Its first performances on the island, in November 2024, drew large audiences. The return reflects growing cultural exchanges between Hainan and international performing arts organizations.