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Production of a feature-length documentary exploring the Philadelphia Orchestra’s financial struggles and 1973 historic performance in China.

Beethoven in Beijing is a feature-length documentary film that contrasts the thrilling rise of classical music in China with the struggles of symphonic orchestras in America. The story is told through the Philadelphia Orchestra, which made history on its tour of China in 1973, and now, half a century later, is turning to that past to secure its faltering future. The film will be distributed through theaters, public television and online streaming, fueling a robust educational outreach. The hub of this outreach will be a website containing a curriculum for middle and high school students, as well as supplementary webisodes, in-depth interviews, images and performance footage. The story will reveal unexpected and heart-warming connections between two cultures often cast in the harsh light of diplomatic and economic tensions. CultureTrust Greater Philadelphia, a nonprofit fiscal agent, is submitting this application on behalf of the producer, History Making Productions.