Philadelphia Orchestra

Floor Speech

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Ms. SCANLON. Madam Speaker, I rise today as a proud Pennsylvanian, and someone who has been a season ticket subscriber to the Philadelphia Orchestra for almost 40 years, to share with my colleagues another important milestone for the Philadelphia Orchestra on the world stage.

In close coordination with the Department of State's Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs as well as our diplomats in Abu Dhabi, a delegation from the Philadelphia Orchestra made a historic trip to the United Arab Emirates in March.

This coincided with the Dubai Expo and the anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the United States and the United Arab Emirates on March 20, 1972.

The Philadelphia Orchestra has been one of the most well-traveled in the world. This commitment to cultural diplomacy dates to the end of World War II. Colleagues will remember the landmark visit to China orchestrated personally by President Nixon and Secretary Kissinger. More recently, the Orchestra has worked with our State Department diplomats to strengthen relations with countries as diverse as Mongolia and Israel.

While on the ground, the musicians visited not only Abu Dhabi and Dubai, but also the Fujairah Fine Arts Academy. This was truly historic. In an increasingly complex world, this type of people-to- people exchange is an incredibly important tool to amplify the work of our diplomats.

As we stand shoulder to shoulder with our European allies, I look forward to celebrating the upcoming European tour this August and September. Once again, the Philadelphia Orchestra will serve as an important cultural ambassador for our country on the world stage.

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