PYONGYANG, North Korea — The New York Philharmonic’s unprecedented concert could herald warmer ties between North Korea and the United States. After three encores, some musicians left the stage in tears as the audience waved fondly.
Between horn fanfares and the flourishes of the conductor’s baton, the U.S. and North Korea found common ground in a concert Tuesday that spanned American and Korean musical traditions.
Whether the feeling lingers after the music will depend on North Korea’s compliance with an international push to rid it of nuclear weapons.
After the New York Philharmonic played the last notes of the folk song “Arirang,” the adoring audience stood and applauded enthusiastically, waving to the musicians.
Orchestra members — some moved to tears — paused with their instruments and waved back, an emotional finale to the concert that was the highlight of the group’s 48-hour visit.
The enraptured crowd drew music director Lorin Maazel and concert master Glenn Dicterow out for a final bow after the rest of the ensemble left the flower- adorned stage at the East Pyong yang Grand Theater.
The concert was broadcast live on North Korean TV, meaning it was heard beyond the 2,500 people in the theater. North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, one of the world’s most reclusive leaders, did not attend; there was no way to know whether he watched.
“We may have been instrumental in opening a little door,” Maazel said after the performance.
Former U.S. Defense Secretary William Perry attended the performance and called it a “historic moment,” remembering how close the countries came to war in 1994 amid a crisis over North Korea’s nuclear program.
“This might just have pushed us over the top” in finding a way beyond past discord, Perry said, adding that Washington should reciprocate by inviting North Korean performers to the U.S.
A rock concert could be in the works. Officials at North Korea’s embassy in London confirmed Tuesday they had invited British guitarist Eric Clapton to play in Pyongyang. However, Clapton spokeswoman Kristen Foster said there is no agreement for him to perform in North Korea.
