Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 43 › Conversation 043-124

Nixon, Ormandy & Kissinger on Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra

Tuesday, February 20, 1973 · 4:46 PM–4:51 PM ET · White House Telephone · 5 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Ormandy, Eugene; Kissinger, Henry A.Conversation043-124 on Tape 43StartTuesday, February 20, 1973 at 4:46 PMEndTuesday, February 20, 1973 at 4:51 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 043-124 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Henry Kissinger called Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra conductor Eugene Ormandy to share the exclusive news that the People's Republic of China had selected his orchestra to be the first Western symphony to perform in China. Kissinger explained that the invitation was a direct result of the President's personal advocacy for the ensemble during recent diplomatic discussions with Chou En-lai. Ormandy was instructed to maintain strict confidentiality regarding the development until the official public announcement on Thursday.

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Names and numbers are often wrong; speakers are not identified. Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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· Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).
Mr. Eugene Normandy.
Hello.
Mr. Normandy?
How are you, Mr. President?
How are you?
Thank you.
I'm a little sick, otherwise I'm fine.
Oh, you've been under the weather?
Yes, unfortunately.
Oh, I hope that it's nothing serious.
No, no, no.
It's a nasty cold.
Well, I'll tell you, I'm just sitting here talking to Dr. Kissinger.
He's just back from China.
I know.
And I thought you'd be interested to know that when he was talking to our friends in China, Mr. Zhou Enlai, and Dr. Kissinger, this has to be held till Thursday, but I thought you'd like to know that they're going to invite the Philadelphia Symphony to come to China.
That's wonderful.
So they indicated that.
So I just want you to know that my favorite symphony will be the first one to go to China.
Yeah.
And it'll be a great experience for all of your people.
It's a great honor.
And I think some of those, I think it must have embarrassed you a little when some of them didn't want to play at the inauguration.
Now that the war is over, they'll probably feel a little better, I think.
But you stood up for them.
It's a pleasure.
You honor me, honor the orchestra.
I'm terribly proud and happy.
Well, we're most appreciative.
I'll let Dr. Kissinger tell you about the conversation that brought this song.
Would you like to hear about it?
If I may.
Here he is.
Thank you very much, Mr. President.
Hello, Dr. Kissinger.
It's nice to talk to you.
I was talking to the Chinese leaders about exchanges and they said to me that the president had taken such a special interest in the Philadelphia Symphony that he had taken a trip to Philadelphia once and that you had agreed to play at the inauguration.
I thought the first Western Symphony Orchestra that should come to China should be the Philadelphia Symphony.
Yeah, that's wonderful.
And they want you to come there before October this year.
Before October?
Before October, and that would precede the London Symphony then.
That's wonderful.
It's extremely important, Mr. Ormandy, that you say, tell this to nobody, because the Chinese are very sensitive about it.
We're not going to say it until Thursday.
Not until this Thursday.
Not until this Thursday.
Uh-huh.
May I ask, Dr. Kissinger, how do we go about it?
Of course, I have a president whom I would have to call up.
Would I be permitted to call him?
Can you wait until Thursday?
Oh, yes.
I'll wait as long as you tell me.
Well, why don't you call him Thursday morning and say, I've just called you?
I see.
I will do that.
And this was just that the president wanted you personally to know.
how pleased he was by this, and that really that the Chinese have done this because they felt his close ties to your orchestra.
Wonderful.
I know how much you had to do with this, Dr. Kissinger.
We called, we met, New Year's Eve.
Oh, I remember very well.
I remember we talked about it.
You called me last year about it, too.
Yeah, it was wild.
You see, Walter Allenbach didn't tell me that you were coming.
I was a little bit tired, so I left, and we just met at the end.
No, I remember very well.
You were going out as I was coming in?
You were just coming in, yes.
It's marvelous, Mr. Dr. Kissinger.
I'm deeply honored.
So is the orchestra, I'm sure.
And after Thursday, what is the procedure?
Well, just the tide will work out some practical arrangements.
The Thursday that today is just two days, isn't it?
That's just two days.
Yes.
That's wonderful, because Friday we are supposed to go to Palm Springs again for a short vacation.
You know, the formal invitation is going to come a little later.
Yes.
But you can consider it settled.
And I would recommend not pressing on the Chinese.
Once they've given their word, you can absolutely count on it.
Oh, I'm quite sure.
Perfectly marvelous.
And we'll work out the arrangements through Paris Channel in any event, but it's really a special tribute to you and because of the president's interest in the orchestra that you're going to be the first symphony orchestra to be there.
It is marvelous.
I'm so happy.
I can't tell you how speechless, how happy I am.
It's very marvelous.
We will do our very best.
So from then on, who will call us, or who shall we call somebody?
We'll be in touch with you.
You will be.
Of course, I will be in Palm Springs beginning Friday.
Right.
Yes.
Dr. Kissinger, I'm grateful to you.
Thank you very, very much.
I think it will be marvelous for this country, and I think you will enjoy it.
It's much more marvelous for us, the Philadelphia Orchestra.
Well, it will be great for the Chinese, too.
I hope so.
Thank you so very much.
Goodbye.
Goodbye, Dr. Kissinger.

NARA Description

On February 20, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, Eugene Ormandy, and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone from 4:46 pm to 4:51 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 043-124 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 43-124

Date: February 20, 1973
Time: 4:46 pm - 4:51 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Eugene Ormandy.

[See Conversation No. 411-9D]

       Ormandy’s health

       People's Republic of China [PRC]
            -The President's conversation with Henry A. Kissinger
            -Chou En-lai
            -Invitation for the Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra
                  -Visit to PRC
            -1973 Inauguration

Kissinger talked with Ormandy.

             -Cultural exchanges between the US and PRC
             -Chou
             -1973 Inauguration
             -Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra
                   -Schedule
                                             -72-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                         -London Symphony Orchestra
                         -Announcement

       Ormandy
           -Meeting with Kissinger
                -Walter H. Annenberg

       PRC
             -Arrangements for trip to PRC
                  -Ormandy’s schedule

Also recorded on February 20, 1973

  • 043-121 3:22 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:22 pm and 4:17 pm.
  • 411-007 3:22 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 3:22 pm and 4:15 pm.
  • 411-008 3:22 PM · 19 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 3:22 pm and 4:15 pm.
  • 411-020 3:22 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 3:22 pm and 4:15 pm.
  • 411-009 4:15 PM · 1 hr 53 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, White House photographer, White House operator, William E. Timmons, unknown person(s), Manolo Sanchez, and Eugene Ormandy met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 4:15 pm to 6:10 pm.
  • 043-122 4:17 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and William E. Timmons talked on the telephone from 4:17 pm to 4:18 pm.
  • 043-123 4:18 PM · 15 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 4:18 pm and 4:46 pm.
  • 411-021 6:10 PM · 34 sec — unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 6:10 pm and 11:59 pm.

All 21 conversations from February 20, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 043-124, February 20, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/043-124 (accessed October 1, 2026).