Mark Nuccio, a New York Philharmonic clarinetist, clicked to another photo taken on his 48 hour-visit to Pyongang, the capital of North Korea.
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staff photo by joe camporeale
Resident and New York Philharmonic clarinetist, Mark Nuccio, talks to Haworth students about the historic Philharmonic concert in Pyongang, North Korea.
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The audience stirred upon seeing the photo of a city billboard. It showed an iron fist pounding into the United States on a globe – a clear sign of the country’s anti-American sentiments.
"It’s a very scary thing [that] people can hate so much," said Philharmonic violinist Sheryl Staples, who stood beside fellow bassoonist Judith LeClair.
The New York Philharmonic February concert in the North Korean capital made history – representing the largest American attendance in the communist state since the Korean War. But the occasion also left a significant mark on the lives of the musicians, according to three New York Philharmonic members.
As musicians and Haworth parents, they shared a slideshow of images and experiences with Haworth Public School students April 7 in the multipurpose room.
At the invitation of North Korea, the orchestra played the Antonin Dvorak’s "New World Symphony," "An American in Paris" by George Gershwin and a Korean folk song called "Arirang." The visit, scheduled at the end of a three-week Asian tour, also included master classes and a ceremonial dinner.
The musicians agreed that they felt a warmth and attentiveness during their unprecedented stay that they had not expected.
"We were embarrassed by the amount of food served to us," said Staples, pointing to an image of what appeared to be food trays vying for space on a table.
She then said that the unexpected welcoming was a contrast to "the life of the people who are so poor."
Electric buses provided public transportation for North Koreans, while guards directed the traffic. There were no streetlights and only a few cars, the musicians told the students.
"How are women treated?" asked one student from the crowd.
"Like secondary citizens," replied Nuccio.
And just as the Philharmonic members said they sensed a watchful eye from authorities, they could not escape the mark of the "Great Leader." Colossal monuments everywhere honored the memory Kim Il Sung, named president for life.
Sung died in 1994 and the country is currently led by his son Kim Jong Il, whose face is equally honored on lapel badges.
Despite a continuous stream of propaganda, LeClair said that the concert was a "very emotional experience" for all. North Korean child performers prohibited from talking to the visitors waved the Philharmonic "goodbye" after a set of standing ovations and encores.
The concert coincided with developments in nuclear disarmament talks between the United States and North Korea. A month before its July 2007 invitation, United Nations inspectors indicated that North Korea had shut down a main reactor in exchange for economic aid.
State Department officials even said in reports that the concert could be a start toward diplomatic reconciliation between the two countries. Yet, critics argued that the event only added legitimacy to an undeserving North Korean government.
Barriers were broken at least musically, said Nuccio.
"We were invited for the purpose of performing, as we hope our gift of music was that to the people and to the dictator," he said.
