Sara (Scott) Cerato BA ’68

10/02/2022

Sara Scott Cerato BA ’68 writes: “I was installed for a two-year term as the president of the governing board of the world-renowned Philadelphia Orchestra. In this role, I’m responsible for all the affiliated groups, committees, and boards that support the activities and fundraising programs of this 122-year-old institution. The orchestra is famous for its groundbreaking trip to China in 1973, when it became the first American orchestra under conductor Eugene Ormandy to perform in the People’s Republic. This event opened diplomatic doors and began a longstanding relationship between our two countries that has made the Philadelphia Orchestra a household name in China. Many foreign trips have followed, including an invitation to become the first Western orchestra to ever perform in Mongolia. In September 2022, the orchestra was scheduled to perform in London at the Royal Albert Hall, but it was the night Queen Elizabeth II died. At the last minute, instead of the planned Beethoven concert, they switched to Elgar’s Elegy Nimrod from the Enigma Variations and played God Save the King, making the Philadelphia Orchestra the first to perform the British National Anthem for the new monarch, King Charles.”