Booming applause filled the Grand Theater in Pyongyang, North Korea, on February 26. The audience stood as the New York Philharmonic played North Korea's national anthem, then the anthem of the United States. A flag from each country adorned the stage. Audience members in the 2,500-seat theater cheered and cried.
It was more than just beautiful music; it was a historic event. For the first time, a major American cultural group performed in North Korea. The enchanting evening was an important break in tension between the nations.
Playing a New Note?The U.S. wants North Korea to end its nuclear weapons program. Last year, North Korea's leader, Kim Jong Il, pledged to do so in exchange for aid and fuel in an agreement with the U.S. and five other countries. But Kim has been slow to keep his promise.
Can the concert change Kim's tune? "I am a musician and not a politician," said Lorin Maazel, music director of the New York Philharmonic. But Maazel still sees the significance of the concert. "Through our music, we will be able to express our friendly feelings to the North Korean people."
A group of nearly 300 musicians, support staff and journalists were welcomed in Pyongyang. The visiting musicians attended a traditional Korean dance performance and a banquet dinner in the snow-covered capital city. Members of the philharmonic taught classes to North Korean music students and played with members of North Korea's State Symphony Orchestra.
The concert was shown live on television in many countries. It ended with a five-minute standing ovation and a feeling of accomplishment. "We may have been instrumental in opening a little door," said Maazel after the show.
But U.S. officials are not so optimistic that it will have lasting effects. "It's a long way from playing that concert to changing the nature of the politics of North Korea," U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said. "But I think it's a good thing."