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Throughout the day in Tianjin, Philadelphia Orchestra chamber ensembles presented impromptu short performances (called pop-ups) for the public. From a fried dough company to a shopping mall, crowds in Tianjin received some unexpected surprises today, and clearly loved every minute!

6/5/13, Tianjin: Our series of pop-up performances in Tianjin today included this interactive percussion performance. Associate Principal Timpani Angela Zator Nelson, Principal Timpani Don Liuzzi, and Principal Percussion Chris Deviney enjoy a jam session with their littlest fans in Crystal City. Photo by Jan Regan.

6/5/13, Tianjin: Local residents perform a stirring rendition of “Edelweiss” (recall The Sound of Music?) in appreciation of the pop-up concert in Crystal City. Photo by Jan Regan.

 
6/5/13, Tianjin: And then it was off to yet another area of Tianjin. Orchestra members Liuzzi, Deviney, and Zator Nelson  enjoy an energetic call-and-response piece with employees of the famous 18th Street Fried Dough Twist Company. Photo by Jan Regan.

6/5/13, Tianjin: Philadelphia Orchestra cellist Ohad Bar-David and erhu player Jiebing Chen (members of Intercultural Journeys) join Don Liuzzi (middle) for a pop-up performance at the exquisite, and historic, Astor Hotel. Co-founded by Bar-David, Intercultural Journeys is dedicated to bridging cultural divides through partnerships with artists and musicians of international caliber. The group will participate in several residency activities over the course of the Tour, including these multiple pop-up performances throughout Tianjin. Photo by Jan Regan.

6/5/13, Tianjin: You never know where Don, Ohad, and Jiebing will “pop up” today! Here they give a surprise Intercultural Journeys performance at the Qing Wang Fu garden. Photo by Jan Regan.

6/5/13, Tianjin: In a display of cross-cultural cuteness, Don Liuzzi shares a fun moment with a few curious fans at the Galaxy Shopping Mall.

6/5/13, Tianjin: Talk about a refreshing lunch break! Violinists Daniel Han and Yayoi Numazawa play a Chinese folk song at the Tianjin Customs House to a packed crowd of officers and workers.

6/5/13, Tianjin: It wasn’t all pop-ups today, but patients at the Tianjin Children’s Hospital still got an unexpected treat when violinist Philip Kates took time out of his day to engage with them. He had just returned from Sichuan Province which was recently devastated by an earthquake where he and cellist John Koen performed for the victims. Photo by Jan Regan.

6/5/13, Tianjin: At the Tianjin Children’s Hospital, a local mother holds her son’s IV pack high so he doesn’t miss out on the performance by violinist Philip Kates, violist Rachel Ku, Principal Cello Hai-Ye Ni, and Assistant Principal Second Violin Dara Morales. Photo by Jan Regan.

6/5/13, Tianjin: The Orchestra returned to its Sister City Tianjin after a highly-successful concert in 2012, where they were the first U.S. orchestra to perform in the new Tianjin Grand Theatre. This Fortieth Anniversary Concert was simulcast on a giant LED screen outside the Theatre and included performances of Gabriela Lena Frank’s Concertino Cusqueño, which was premiered in Philadelphia this past fall, Wagner’s Overture to Tannhäuser, and Brahms’s Symphony No. 2. Photo by Jan Regan.

6/5/13, Tianjin: Audiences were wowed by the Orchestra inside the Theatre as well as outside. Photo by Jan Regan.

6/5/13, Tianjin: Besides the musical performance, concertgoers enjoyed a spectacular water show outside Tianjin Grand Theatre. Photo by Jan Regan.