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(Macao, June 5, 2012) – Four musicians of the esteemed Philadelphia Orchestra performed as an exclusive musical ensemble to 60 members and staff of the Macao Rehabilitation Centre for the Blind Tuesday at the Venetian Theatre. Serving as Macau Community Outreach Sponsor of the Orchestra’s 2012 Residency & Tour of China, The Venetian® Macao is eager to help the visually impaired in Macao to integrate into society and also to enhance their social lives through music. Forty members and 20 staff members of the Rehabilitation Centre for the Blind were invited by The Venetian Macao to enjoy a special quartet performance featuring violin, viola and cello held between 10:30 am and 11:30 am at the luxurious Venetian Theatre Tuesday. Violinist Jonathan Chu, Violists Che-Hung Chen and Burchard Tang and Cellist Glenn Fischbach from the world-recognized Philadelphia Orchestra gave an incomparable chamber concert to the audience, capturing their hearts and stimulating their imaginations. Four pieces were played: Mozart: Duo for Violin and Viola; Beethoven: “Eyeglasses” Duo for Viola and Cello; Handel-Halvorsen: Passacaglia and also Schubert: String trio in B-Flat. All 60 members and staff of the centre were elated to be able to experience the magnificent performance of the Orchestra. They applauded the musicians and also The Venetian Macao for organizing this special event for them. Run by the charitable organization Macao Holy House of Mercy, the Rehabilitation Centre for the Blind was founded in 1960 with a goal to help people with severe visual impairments integrate into society and lead a normal life. The centre renders a variety of services, recreational activities and vocational training such as computer science and Braille in order to raise their members’ quality of life and independence as well as to minimize the impacts brought by their physical disabilities.

In addition, Chinese and Western music courses have been provided for the members, who have also been learning to play guitar and electronic keyboard for the last two years. A band formed by some of the members frequently participates and performs in various occasions and events in Macao. In order to support the centre’s effort in enhancing the quality of life of Macao's visually impaired and believing that music is one of the greatest ways to enhance their social lives, The Venetian Macao thus took the opportunity to organize an exclusive performance especially for the members of the centre, while six musicians of the Philadelphia Orchestra were in Macao for the “Exclusive Chamber Performance from the Philadelphia Orchestra” on June 4 at the Venetian Theatre. The chamber performance was brought to Macao as a result of The Venetian Macao’s Premier Sponsorship of the Orchestra’s current Residency & Tour of China. Led by chief conductor Charles Dutoit, The Philadelphia Orchestra remains one of the preeminent orchestras in the world. The symphony orchestra has an extraordinary history of 112 seasons, and is renowned for its distinctive sound, desired for its keen ability to capture the hearts and imaginations of audiences, and admired for an unrivalled legacy of music-making firsts, including its 1973 China visit and its innovative move to become the first orchestra to create an online store for purchasing
music.

About The Venetian^® Macao-Resort-Hotel
The Venetian^® Macao-Resort-Hotel is Macao's first integrated resort featuring stunning replicas of the famous canals and architectural icons of Venice, Italy. The Venetian Macao features 3,000 suites, 1.2 million square feet of convention and meeting facilities as well as a 15,000- seat CotaiArena™ designed for world-class sports events and electrifying entertainment. The Venetian Macao is also home to the unique, 1,800-seat luxury Venetian Theatre, hosting the best in international and Chinese entertainment; more than 30 renowned restaurants; MALO CLINIC Health & Wellness; the incredibly fun QUBE indoor playground and more than 300 retailers at The Grand Canal Shoppes. Outdoor recreation areas include swimming pools and cabanas and a mini-golf course.

About The Philadelphia Orchestra
Renowned for its distinctive sound, desired for its keen ability to capture the hearts and imaginations of audiences, and admired for an unrivalled legacy of “firsts” in music-making, The Philadelphia Orchestra remains one of the preeminent orchestras in the world. The Philadelphia Orchestra has cultivated an extraordinary roster of artistic leaders in its 112 seasons, including music directors Fritz Scheel, Karl Pohlig, Leopold Stokowski, Eugene Ormandy, Riccardo Muti, Wolfgang Sawallisch, and Christoph Eschenbach, as well as the Orchestra’s current chief conductor, Charles Dutoit. In the 2012-13 season, Yannick Nézet- Séguin will become the eighth music director of The Philadelphia Orchestra. Named music director designate in 2010, Nézet-Séguin brings a vision that extends beyond symphonic music and into the vivid world of opera and choral music.
Philadelphia is home and the Orchestra nurtures an important relationship with patrons who support the main season at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. The Orchestra also performs for Philadelphia audiences at the Mann Center for the Performing Arts, Penn’s Landing and other regional venues. The Philadelphia Orchestra Association continues to own the Academy of Music – a National Historic Landmark – as it has since 1957. The ensemble maintains an important tradition of presenting community educational programs for local audiences. Today the Orchestra executes a myriad of education and civic partnership programs, notably its Neighborhood Concert Series, Sound All Around and Family Concerts, eZseatU and more. Through concerts, tours, residencies, presentations, and recordings, The Philadelphia Orchestra touches the lives of countless music lovers around the world. The Orchestra annually performs at Carnegie Hall and The Kennedy Center while also enjoying a three-week residency at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center in New York and a strong partnership with the Bravo! Vail Valley Music Festival. For more information on The Philadelphia Orchestra, please visit www.philorch.org.

1. Jonathan Chu, Violin
Violinist Jonathan Chu is widely sought-after as a chamber musician and recitalist. With the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, he has toured throughout Japan and Europe performing in some of the finest halls in the world as well as in New York. He also has a wide range of experiences with other professional ensembles, having been a member of the Saint Louis Symphony and the Santa Fe Opera Orchestra, and serving as concertmaster with the Juilliard Orchestra and guest principal with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. Mr. Chu joined the viola section of The Philadelphia Orchestra at the start of the 2009-10 season. Aside from his work with professional ensembles, Mr. Chu enjoys a range of other musical experiences. He has participated in Caramoor’s “Rising Stars” series, performing with musicians such as Anton Kuerti, Gary Hoffman, and Timothy Eddy. With the Fader Piano Quartet, he was a prizewinner at the Coleman Competition in Pasadena. He is also a founding member of the Io String Quartet. Mr. Chu has attended festivals including Marlboro, Yellow Barn, and Taos. He can also be heard on the album of the rock band Vampire Weekend playing both violin and viola. Mr. Chu is a graduate of Vanderbilt University, where he graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Music degree along with a second major in economics, and the Juilliard School, where he received a Master of Music studying with Robert Mann. He plays on a Hiroshi Iizuka viola made in 2004.

2. Che-Hung Chen, Viola
Violist Che-Hung Chen joined The Philadelphia Orchestra in spring 2001, the first-ever Taiwanese citizen to become a member of the Orchestra. He was the first prize winner at the seventh Banff International String Quartet Competition as a member of the Daedalus Quartet; he was also awarded the Pièce de concert prize for the best performance of a commissioned work and the Székely Prize for the best performance of a Beethoven quartet. A three-time top prize winner at the Taiwan National Instrumental Competition, Mr. Chen entered the Curtis Institute of Music at age 14, where he studied with Joseph de Pasquale, retired Philadelphia Orchestra principal viola, and served as principal viola of the Curtis Symphony. Mr. Chen has appeared as soloist with numerous orchestras and given recitals throughout the United States and Asia. As a participant in the Marlboro Festival, he has toured with Musicians from Marlboro and performed on their 50th anniversary concerts in Boston and New York’s Carnegie Hall. He has collaborated with members of the Guarneri, Orion, Mendelssohn, and Tokyo quartets, and with artists such as Martha Argerich, Yefim Bronfman, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Lang Lang, and Hilary Hahn. Mr. Chen has also participated in festivals such as the Ravinia, Caramoor, Kingston, and Bridgehampton chamber music festivals and Music from Angel Fire. He has also performed with the Brandenburg Ensemble and Metamorphosen Chamber Orchestra. Mr. Chen currently serves on the faculty of Temple University’s Esther Boyer College of Music and Temple Music Prep.

3. Burchard Tang, Viola
A native of Maryland, Burchard Tang joined The Philadelphia Orchestra in September 1999. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in May 1999 from the Curtis Institute of Music, where he studied with Joseph de Pasquale, retired Philadelphia Orchestra principal viola, and Choong-Jin Chang, the Orchestra’s current principal viola. Mr. Tang has served as principal viola with the Curtis Symphony and the New York String Seminar, and he has performed with the Brandenburg Ensemble. A 1993 winner of the Philadelphia Orchestra Albert M. Greenfield Student Competition, Mr. Tang performed with The Philadelphia Orchestra as a soloist in a Student Concert in November 1993. Other honors include the Temple University Preparatory Division Concerto Competition and second prize in the Senior Division of the Fischoff Competition in 1996.

4. Glenn Fischbach, Cello
Glenn Fischbach is a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music, where he studied with Orlando Cole and William Stokking. Following his graduation, Mr. Fischbach spent six seasons as principal cello of the Savannah Symphony. He performs regularly as a substitute musician with The Philadelphia Orchestra and is on the faculty of Temple University’s Music Preparatory Division. He is a member of the Belmonte Piano Trio with his wife, violinist Jennifer K. Lee, and pianist Robert Durso. Mr. Fischbach comes from a musical family. His father is a member of the violin faculty at the University of Maryland, College Park, and is the co-author of the well-known Viva Vibrato! method books. His brother is a violist with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, and his sister is artistic director of the Southold Dance Theater in South Bend, IN, and a former dancer with American Ballet Theatre.