New York Philharmonic: Next stop...North Korea!?

In a bold and brash move--reported in a recent article in the Washington Times--Maestro Maazel and the New York Philharmonic are planning to stop in Pyongyang, North Korea to play a concert on their upcoming tour of Asia.

This decision has brought forth a firestorm of anger and criticism from many music and human rights critics because of North Korea's current regime and its record of human rights violations.

Maestro Maazel has thrown out a weighty statement which says, "People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw bricks, should they? Is our standing as a country — the United States — is our reputation all that clean when it comes to prisoners and the way they are treated? Have we set an example that should be emulated all over the world? If we can answer that question honestly, I think we can then stop being judgmental about the errors made by others."

I found his comment thought-provoking, yet disagreeable. The US may not have a pristine reputation and we may have made mistakes, but we certainly aren't starving our population and letting them die without aid. North Korea also supports terrorism and funds terrorists abroad with weapons shipments and money. They also are agressively pursuing a nuclear weapons program. Not the most desirable of places for the NY Phil to play.

The Maestro claims that "I thought I was making music and stretching out a welcoming hand to folks who might not have been believers of the regime under which they were living. I feel this way certainly about North Korea." I believe that the Maestro has the right idea, but went about this the wrong way. Perhaps asking the State Department if the orchestra might travel to this country might have been a better course of action.

I do believe that music is an international language and must be shared with all. Music enlightens and inspires, and as artists, it is our job to bring this to whoever will listen. But traveling to a rogue nation like North Korea shows unfounded support for a regime of dictatorship and repression of human rights.