The New York Times-20080128-North Korean Orchestra To Visit England- -Brief-

Return to: The_New_York_Times-20080128

North Korean Orchestra To Visit England; [Brief]

Full Text (121  words)

On the heels of plans by the New York Philharmonic to perform in North Korea comes word that the 120-member North Korea State Symphony Orchestra is to play two concerts in England. The Guardian of London reported that after three years of planning and organizing, that orchestra will perform in September at the Royal Festival Hall in London and in Middlesbrough in northeast England. The visit was described as the brainchild of the opera singer Suzannah Clarke, who, in 2003, became the first British singer to perform in Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea. The newspaper said that she had suggested that her hosts invite other foreign musicians to North Korea and send its orchestra abroad. Ms. Clarke comes from Middlesbrough.