October 16 2009
Setting off for Beijing
By: Rory Jeffes, Sydney Symphony Managing Director
After two years of planning we arrived at Sydney Airport at 6.30am this morning ready for the 14 hour trip to Beijing – to begin the first ever visit to mainland China by the Sydney Symphony and the first ever international tour under the baton of our Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor, Vladimir Ashkenazy.
The general sense is one of great anticipation and excitement. It has been two years in the planning and now that it is underway everyone is committed to making it a great success for the Orchestra and our partners – and also proud to be ambassadors for our city, State and for Australia.
Arriving in Beijing at 9pm we were quickly ushered through immigration formalities and onto buses for the short journey to The Swissotel, where we are all staying for our time in Beijing. All of our instruments have arrived safely in advance of the touring party, with one violinist remarking that her instrument was not even out of tune after the journey.
So everyone is safely here, primed and ready for the start of the Tour with our concert on Sunday at the Forbidden City Concert Hall. With the three hour time difference it was a tired but happy crew that retired to bed to be ready for the first group activity – a visit to the Great Wall tomorrow morning!
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