The Beijing Symphony Orchestra will perform in Ottawa in early 2017 as part of the Canada 150 anniversary.
Mayor Jim Watson said the event will strengthen the ties between Beijing and Ottawa and promote tourism in the city, especially Chinatown.
The orchestra will perform at the National Arts Centre on Feb. 12. Watson and Peng (Patrick) Lin, CEO of RideauStone Arts Centre, made the announcement on Nov. 2. RideauStone is investing $500,000 to sponsor the event with Beijing’s municipal government.
The arts company was created by RideauStone Investments earlier this year and aims to work with Ottawa and Beijing to organize cultural events connecting the countries. “This concert reflects the commitment of RideauStone Arts Centre to promoting the exchange of music and art between China and Canada,” Lin said.
Watson said the goal for the concert, along with other special 2017 events such as the Juno Awards, Red Bull Crashed Ice and the Grey Cup, is to “put Ottawa on the map.” He said another goal is “to try to attract more Chinese immigrants to come to Canada.”
The city is not involved financially in the event. “The city doesn’t reap any financial benefits but we do in the long term in terms of publicity,” Watson said.
Chinatown BIA was not involved in the organizing the event, but Watson said the orchestra event could benefit Chinatown businesses. “If major attention is prolonged to China through the Beijing Symphony Orchestra, then hopefully that encourages people to visit Chinatown,” he said.
Chinatown BIA executive coordinator Shirley Fang said she hopes the orchestra and other Ottawa 2017 events can help attract tourists to Chinatown. “If we open the door to more Chinese people coming to Canada and Ottawa, that will be good for Chinatown,” she said.
Fang said the retail district along Somerset Street works with Ottawa Tourism to organize events, adding that Chinatown is “not just a shopping mall. There’s a lot of culture.”
Chinatown BIA worked with the City of Ottawa and the Beijing municipal government to create the Gateway Arch close to the corner of Bronson and Somerset streets in 2010.
Watson said the concert is an opportunity for Beijing — Ottawa’s sister city since 1999 — to help the capital celebrate Canada 150th anniversary. The partnership the city signed with Beijing is Ottawa’s only international twinning agreement with another city.
“In August, a delegation from the Beijing Municipal Government visited Ottawa to determine how Beijing could get involved in the city’s plans for 2017,” said John Smit, the city’s acting director of economic development. “It was during this visit that the idea of bringing the Beijing Symphony Orchestra to Ottawa was suggested by Beijing municipal officials.”
Watson said Lin organized most of the event with the city of Beijing. “We’re grateful to him because he’s contributing a lot of money to make this happen.”
This is the first time the City of Ottawa has worked with RideauStone. Watson said he knew Lin from past trade missions to China. Lin previously worked in foreign affairs in China and with the Beijing municipal government.
The BSO is a classical orchestra that was founded in 1977 and performs about 80 concerts a year. The orchestra commissions at least one major work every year from a Chinese composer. Among other achievements, the orchestra recorded the country’s national anthem and the Olympic Hymn for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.