Type: Classical Orchestral
Orchestra: The New York Philharmonic Orchestra
Conductor: Lorin Maazel
Location: East Pyongyang Grand Theatre, North Korea
Year: 2008

This iconic performance was a rare act of cultural diplomacy during a brief diplomatic opening. North Korea invited the orchestra, and the concert was the first major visit by an American cultural institution to North Korea since the Korean War. The orchestra playing both national anthems, then Dvořák’s “New World” Symphony, Gershwin’s An American in Paris, and the Korean folk-based Arirang Fantasy. The concert was broadcast internationally and, unusually, on North Korean state television