CHRISTOPH ESCHENBACH AND THE PHILADELPHIA ORCHESTRA EMBARK ON 2005 TOUR OF ASIA

Orchestra performs for the first time in Kyoto, Japan, and Singapore - returns to Tokyo and Yokohama, Japan; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Hong Kong; Taipei, Taiwan; and Seoul, Korea

Yo-Yo Ma and Lang Lang join Orchestra as soloists;
Concertmaster David Kim and Principal Oboe Richard Woodhams also make solo appearances

Lead support for 2005 tour provided by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania;
UBS sponsors the Orchestra's appearance at performances in
Tokyo, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taipei, and Seoul

(Philadelphia, March 24, 2005)

The Philadelphia Orchestra under the direction of Music Director Christoph Eschenbach embarks on its three week 2005 Tour of Asia in May, following the conclusion of the Orchestra's Philadelphia subscription season. The 2005 tour is Mr. Eschenbach's first visit to Asia with the Orchestra and will be highlighted by the Orchestra's first performances in Kyoto, Japan, and Singapore. It will also feature return trips to Tokyo and Yokohama, Japan; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Hong Kong; Taipei, Taiwan; and Seoul, Korea. Celebrated cellist Yo-Yo Ma joins The Philadelphia Orchestra for the tour's opening concert in Tokyo and international piano sensation Lang Lang joins the tour for eight concerts. Philadelphia Orchestra Concertmaster David Kim and Principal Oboe Richard Woodhams also make solo appearances. Performances of Mahler's First, Fifth, and Ninth symphonies continue the Orchestra's five-year Mahler cycle.

"I am so pleased to bring The Philadelphia Orchestra's unsurpassed music making to Asia," said Mr. Eschenbach. "The Philadelphia Orchestra is known around the world for its great artistry, and I look forward to sharing our partnership with audiences in Asia this spring."

"The Philadelphia Orchestra has been a cultural ambassador for the Philadelphia region and the entire Commonwealth of Pennsylvania since our first international tour in 1949," said Philadelphia Orchestra President Joseph H. Kluger. "We are looking forward to the Orchestra's first trip to Asia with Christoph Eschenbach, which will give us another opportunity to use the international language of music to build bridges of camaraderie and commerce, and we are grateful to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and to UBS, whose support makes such tours possible."

Tour Overview
The three-week 2005 Tour of Asia, which includes 15 concerts in eight cities, opens in Tokyo's Suntory Hall on May 19. Performances follow at Minato Mirai Hall in Yokohama (May 20) and Kyoto's Concert Hall (May 21) and then the Orchestra travels back to Tokyo for additional performances on May 22 and 23. The Philadelphia Orchestra performs two concerts each in Kuala Lumpur's Dewan Filharmonik Petronas (May 26 and 27), the recently opened Esplanade in Singapore (May 28 and 29), the Hong Kong Cultural Centre (May 31 and June 1), Taipei's National Concert Hall (June 3 and 4), and the Seoul Arts Center (June 6 and 7). (See end of news release for full detailed schedule including repertoire.)

Tour Repertoire and Guest Soloists
The Philadelphia Orchestra continues its five-year Mahler cycle on the tour by performing the First, Fifth, and Ninth symphonies. The Orchestra will also perform Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 5, Bartók's Concerto for Orchestra, and Dvorak's Carnival Overture.

Yo-Yo Ma joins the Orchestra for the first time on an international tour, performing Dvorak's Cello Concerto on the tour's opening concert in Tokyo. A frequent guest with the Orchestra, his most recent appearance was performing Strauss's Don Quixote on Carnegie Hall's season opening concert in October 2004, which was broadcast later that month on PBS.
Also joining the Orchestra for eight concerts on the tour is pianist Lang Lang. A frequent collaborator with Mr. Eschenbach, Lang Lang made his Philadelphia Orchestra debut in May 2001. Shortly afterward he traveled with the Orchestra on its 100th Birthday Tour of Asia, performing to packed audiences in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Lang Lang gives one performance of Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 4 in Tokyo and performances of the Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1 in Yokohama, Kyoto, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taipei, and Seoul.

Two of The Philadelphia Orchestra's own musicians also perform as soloists on the tour. Concertmaster David Kim performs Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto in Seoul; he performed this work with the Orchestra in February 2005. Principal Oboe Richard Woodhams performs Mozart's Oboe Concerto in Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Taipei. He last performed as soloist with the Orchestra in Strauss's Oboe Concerto in January 2005.

Tour Sponsorship
Lead support for The Philadelphia Orchestra's 2005 Tour of Asia is provided by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Continuing its support as season sponsor in Philadelphia, UBS is proud to sponsor The Philadelphia Orchestra's appearance at performances in Tokyo, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taipei, and Seoul.

UBS is one of the world's leading financial firms. One of the world's leading wealth management businesses, a premier investment banking and securities firm, a leading asset manager and the market leader in Swiss retail and commercial banking, UBS is present in all major financial centers with offices in 50 countries and employs over 66,000 people worldwide.

Tour History
The Philadelphia Orchestra has a long and distinguished touring history throughout the world. Just four days after its inaugural concert on November 16, 1900, it was already on the road, traveling to the neighboring city of Reading. The ensemble was the first American orchestra to make a transcontinental tour, in 1936, when it played 34 concerts in 36 days, from Boston to Holdredge, Nebraska, and from Toronto to San Francisco. In 1949 Philadelphia was the first American orchestra to cross the Atlantic after World War II, and the first to cross the ocean since 1930, with a special three-week concert tour of Great Britain. Since that time, the Orchestra has crisscrossed the globe on a regular basis, becoming one of the most-traveled American symphonic ensembles.

The 2005 Tour of Asia marks The Philadelphia Orchestra's 28th tour outside North America and 12th visit to Asia. The Orchestra's first tour of Asia occurred in 1967, with performances in Osaka, Kanazawa, Nagoya, and Tokyo, Japan. In 1973 the Orchestra, under Eugene Ormandy's direction, became the first American orchestra to perform in the People's Republic of China, at the special request of President Richard Nixon and Henry Kissinger. The Orchestra returned to mainland China 20 years later, in 1993, and most recently in 2001, both times led by Wolfgang Sawallisch. In 1999 the Orchestra became the first American symphony orchestra to visit Vietnam.

Philadelphia Orchestra History
Founded in 1900, The Philadelphia Orchestra has distinguished itself as one of the leading orchestras in the world through a century of acclaimed performances, historic international tours, best-selling recordings, and its unprecedented record of innovation in recording technologies and outreach. With only six music directors piloting The Philadelphia Orchestra through its first century, the ensemble has maintained an unparalleled cohesiveness and unity in artistic leadership.

This rich tradition is carried on by Christoph Eschenbach, who began his tenure as the Orchestra's seventh music director in September 2003. As Mr. Eschenbach and the Orchestra inaugurate a new era in the ensemble's esteemed history, the Orchestra has announced the launch of the public phase of a five-year, $125-million endowment campaign, entitled A Sound, A City, A Civilization. Commitments to the campaign include a lead gift of $50 million from the Annenberg Foundation, along with other major leadership gifts that have allowed the Orchestra to raise the original campaign goal from $75 million to $125 million.

In addition to Mr. Eschenbach's appointment as music director, the Orchestra has observed several important milestones in recent years. The Orchestra's 2002-2003 season celebrated Wolfgang Sawallisch's ten highly acclaimed years at the Orchestra's helm and paid tribute to his artistic achievements with the release of a Grammy-nominated three-disc set of Schumann recordings, the first recordings made in Verizon Hall at The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. The Orchestra moved to its new home at the Kimmel Center in December 2001, after celebrating its 100th Anniversary through a series of activities surrounding the year 2000, including the internationally televised gala Birthday Concert on November 16, 2000, a tour of Europe in 2000, and tours of Asia and the United States in 2001. A tour in the spring of 2003 took the Orchestra to nine cities in the United States, Mexico, and South America. Christoph Eschenbach and the Orchestra capped their first full season together with a tour of the music capitals of Europe in the spring of 2004.

The Philadelphia Orchestra annually touches the lives of more than 1 million music lovers worldwide through its performances (more than 300 concerts and other presentations each year), publications, recordings, and broadcasts. A major winter subscription season is presented in Philadelphia each year from September to May, in addition to education and community partnership programs. The Orchestra presents a series of concerts each year at New York's Carnegie Hall, performing encores of some of its acclaimed concerts from Philadelphia. Its summer schedule includes a month-long outdoor season in Philadelphia at The Mann Center for the Performing Arts, free concerts in local neighborhoods, and a three-week residency each August at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center in upstate New York.

The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts hosts the Orchestra's home subscription concerts. The Center includes two performance spaces, the 2500-seat Verizon Hall, designed and built especially for the Orchestra, and the 650-seat Perelman Theater for chamber music concerts. Designed by architect Rafael Viñoly along with acoustician Russell Johnson of Artec Consultants Inc., the Kimmel Center provides the Orchestra with a state-of-the-art facility for concerts, recordings, and education activities. The landmark building is named in honor of Philadelphia businessman and philanthropist Sidney Kimmel, who gave the largest individual gift toward its construction. Mr. Kimmel has served on the Board of Directors of The Philadelphia Orchestra since 1995.

The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts (KCPA) and the historic Academy of Music (where the Orchestra performed for 101 seasons) are operated together as a single cultural facility by Kimmel Center, Inc. (KCI). A variety of Philadelphia's other performing arts groups serve as resident companies for the two buildings. KCI owns, manages, supports, and maintains the KCPA. Kimmel Center, Inc., also manages the Academy of Music, owned by The Philadelphia Orchestra Association since 1957, and where the Orchestra continues to present the highly anticipated annual Academy Anniversary Concert and Ball. Additional information about The Philadelphia Orchestra can be found at www.philorch.org.

2005 Tour of Asia

TOKYO, JAPAN
Thursday, May 19, at 7:00 p.m. - Suntory Hall

The Philadelphia Orchestra
Christoph Eschenbach, conductor
Yo-Yo Ma, cello

DVORAK Cello Concerto
MAHLER Symphony No. 1

YOKOHAMA, JAPAN
Friday, May 20, at 7:00 p.m. - Minato Mirai Hall

The Philadelphia Orchestra
Christoph Eschenbach, conductor
Lang Lang, piano

TCHAIKOVSKY Piano Concerto No. 1
TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No. 5

KYOTO, JAPAN
Saturday, May 21, at 5:00 p.m. - Kyoto Concert Hall

The Philadelphia Orchestra
Christoph Eschenbach, conductor
Lang Lang, piano

TCHAIKOVSKY Piano Concerto No. 1
TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No. 5

TOKYO, JAPAN
Sunday, May 22, at 6:00 p.m. - Suntory Hall

The Philadelphia Orchestra
Christoph Eschenbach, conductor
Lang Lang, piano

BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 4
MAHLER Symphony No. 5

TOKYO, JAPAN
Monday, May 23, at 7:00 p.m. - Suntory Hall

The Philadelphia Orchestra
Christoph Eschenbach, conductor

MAHLER Symphony No. 9

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA
Thursday, May 26, at 8:30 p.m. - Dewan Filharmonik Petronas

The Philadelphia Orchestra
Christoph Eschenbach, conductor
Lang Lang, piano

DVORAK Carnival Overture
TCHAIKOVSKY Piano Concerto No. 1
BARTÓK Concerto for Orchestra

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA
Friday, May 27, at 8:30 p.m. - Dewan Filharmonik Petronas

The Philadelphia Orchestra
Christoph Eschenbach, conductor
Richard Woodhams, oboe

MOZART Oboe Concerto
MAHLER Symphony No. 5

SINGAPORE
Saturday, May 28, at 7:30 p.m. - Esplanade Theatre

The Philadelphia Orchestra
Christoph Eschenbach, conductor
Lang Lang, piano

DVORAK Carnival Overture
TCHAIKOVSKY Piano Concerto No. 1
BARTÓK Concerto for Orchestra

SINGAPORE
Sunday, May 29, at 7:30 p.m. - Esplanade Theatre

The Philadelphia Orchestra
Christoph Eschenbach, conductor
Richard Woodhams, oboe

MOZART Oboe Concerto
MAHLER Symphony No. 5

HONG KONG
Tuesday, May 31, at 8:00 p.m. - Hong Kong Cultural Centre

The Philadelphia Orchestra
Christoph Eschenbach, conductor
Lang Lang, piano

DVORAK Carnival Overture
TCHAIKOVSKY Piano Concerto No. 1
BARTÓK Concerto for Orchestra

HONG KONG
Wednesday, June 1, at 8:00 p.m. - Hong Kong Cultural Centre

The Philadelphia Orchestra
Christoph Eschenbach, conductor
Richard Woodhams, oboe

MOZART Oboe Concerto
MAHLER Symphony No. 1

TAIPEI, TAIWAN
Friday, June 3, at 7:45 p.m. - National Concert Hall

The Philadelphia Orchestra
Christoph Eschenbach, conductor
Richard Woodhams, oboe

MOZART Oboe Concerto
MAHLER Symphony No. 5

TAIPEI, TAIWAN
Saturday, June 4, at 7:45 p.m. - National Concert Hall

The Philadelphia Orchestra
Christoph Eschenbach, conductor
Lang Lang, piano

TCHAIKOVSKY Piano Concerto No. 1
TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No. 5

SEOUL, KOREA
Monday, June 6, at 8:00 p.m. - Seoul Arts Center

The Philadelphia Orchestra
Christoph Eschenbach, conductor
Lang Lang, piano

DVORAK Carnival Overture
TCHAIKOVSKY Piano Concerto No. 1
BARTÓK Concerto for Orchestra

SEOUL, KOREA
Tuesday, June 7, at 8:00 p.m. - Seoul Arts Center

The Philadelphia Orchestra
Christoph Eschenbach, conductor
David Kim, violin

TCHAIKOVSKY Violin Concerto
MAHLER Symphony No. 1

Lead support for The Philadelphia Orchestra's 2005 Tour of Asia is provided by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

UBS is proud to sponsor The Philadelphia Orchestra's appearance at performances in Tokyo, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taipei, and Seoul.