These new U.S. citizens got a soundtrack played by the Philadelphia Orchestra

The audience filed into the concert hall. An oboist sounded an “A” to which the orchestra tuned. And the music began.

Thursday morning’s Philadelphia Orchestra performance, however, wasn’t being played for the usual crowd. Rather, this serenade in Verizon Hall was put together for a group of candidates for U.S. citizenship. The orchestra played “The Star-Spangled Banner” before sending the 68 U.S. citizens-to-be out into the Kimmel plaza, which was transformed into immigration court for a few hours.

“Goose bumps,” is what Shaza Alrefai said she felt upon hearing the orchestra play at her naturalization ceremony. “When the national anthem started, because it is my ceremony, it was very emotional,” said Alrefai, from Syria. “I liked the diversity of the players, they are all from different countries.”

“I was actually pretty surprised,” said another new citizen, a woman from China who declined to give her name. “It was so touching,” she said of the brief performance, which was led by guest conductor Stéphane Denève.

Plans for the orchestra to perform for a naturalization ceremony were first hatched several years ago, but the idea was thwarted by the pandemic in 2020. A string trio from the orchestra played at a 2021 naturalization ceremony in the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services offices in West Philadelphia, but the full orchestra had to wait until now.

Bringing music to new citizens is important because “the harmony in music unites our souls and brings people together from all walks of life,” said Joel H. Slomsky, senior U.S. District judge for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, who presided over the ceremonies.

Slomsky is an orchestra subscriber who had invited orchestra president Matías Tarnopolsky to speak at a naturalization ceremony several years ago. Tarnopolsky then suggested the idea of the orchestra playing live at one.

“The minute I heard that, I said, ‘It’s done,’” said Slomsky.

Thursday’s proceedings had extra resonance for the orchestra itself. Violist Che-Hung Chen, an orchestra member since 2001 and its first from Taiwan, was also being sworn in as a new U.S. citizen.

On this occasion Chen wasn’t sitting on stage playing the national anthem, but, rather, was in the audience along with the other candidates from a total of 34 countries. “It was such a special feeling,” he said of hearing the orchestra play for him.

In addition to the orchestra performance, the event — which was set up to coincide with the orchestra’s usual Thursday rehearsal — brought speeches from Slomsky, Tarnopolsky, and other dignitaries, including two judges. Each explored themes of immigration as key to America’s national identity.

Tarnopolsky wove in the role of the arts in helping to find “common ground” and to “bridge gaps.”

“Today in becoming American citizens, you will learn that you value and will uphold concepts crucial to the continuation of democracy,” he said, citing liberty, equity, and freedom.

“Right here in Verizon Hall, the Philadelphia Orchestra performs works that reflect the experience of multitudes of artists, many of whom could not freely express themselves in their homelands except through music.”

Tarnopolsky finished his speech by offering each freshly minted American two free tickets to a future Philadelphia Orchestra concert.

Several suggested they would be back.

Said Neli Bordak, a new U.S. citizen from Belarus: “Why not?”