Pharmaceutical firm's orchestra strikes the right chords in China

The Deutsche Philharmonie Merck, the house orchestra of German pharmaceutical and chemical giant Merck, has made its debut in China with a weeklong series of concerts in an effort to enhance Sino-German cultural exchanges.

The DPM Concert Weektour was launched in the year of Merck's 350th anniversary, and saw it perform in Shanghai and twice in Beijing. For the finale, the musicians were joined by students from Peking University.

Stefan Reinhardt, general manager of the orchestra, said the group was amazed by their first trip to China and how they can connect with Chinese audiences through music.

"By bringing these performances to our audiences in China, we would like to facilitate cultural exchanges beyond cultures and borders - to inspire people with music and cultural initiatives," he said.

Reinhardt said the audience response had been fantastic. "Some of them even cried during the performance. It's really our goal that we bring music from the heart to the heart."

DPM started 52 years ago as a nonprofit organization and has gradually changed into a full professional symphony orchestra, with over 100 musicians playing 30 to 40 concerts a year.

Two weeks prior to their trip to China, the orchestra went to Boston and St Louis in the United States for performance, and received warm applauds from local audience.

According to Merck executives, the China performances provided a chance for the company and its partners to better fulfill their corporate responsibilities.

The orchestra has a history of working on special projects with children and young people, and has performed on international stages worldwide, including India, Brazil and Mexico.

Johannes Baillou, chairman of the Board of Partners of E. Merck KG and Vice Chairman Executive Board and Family Board, said: "At Merck, responsibility is a core value that shapes our daily practice. As a global company, it is of the greatest importance for us to understand the cultures of the countries we work in and bring the culture of our native country to the places we operate."

Al Gabor, president of Merck China, said that Merck will continue to work with its partners on projects in China, especially in healthcare and scientific curiosity promotion.

Merck has been in China for 85 years. Its responsibility projects in China include disease education programs, public health projects, energy efficiency, reducing greenhouse gases, scholarships and other educational programs to encourage student innovation. Merck's responsibility projects are estimated to impact 100 million people each year.