The New York Philharmonic played in Pyongyang, North Korea today. Park Slope’s John Schaefer, the host of WNYC’s Soundcheck, is traveling with the orchestra for this historic and controversial event.

The orchestra played the national anthems of North Korea and the United State and American in Paris by George Gershwin.

This is the  first time an
American orchestra has been allowed to perform in the Democratic
People’s Republic of Korea. They also played Dvorak’s “New World”
Symphony and
Bernstein’s overture to “Candide."

Schaefer reported on WNYC this morning: "The ending of the concert
was very memorable…there was standing ovation which lasted after the
conductor, Loren Maazel, left the stage. The members of the orchestra
had to get up to start leaving. As they got up and left, members of the
audience waved goodbye," Schaefer said on WNYC this morning.

According to Schaefer, "The musicians were quite emotional. Wiping
away tears. None had ever had this  experience of an audience waving
goodbye. Tears flowing on both sides. I’ve never seen that at a
classical concert."

The broadcast of the full concert will be on WNYC on Tuesday night at 8 p.m.