Pacific Chorale joins Orange County arts leaders in Guangzhou and Kaiping, China for an eight-day cultural exchange.

This October, Pacific Chorale President and CEO Rhett M. Del Campo traveled to southern China as part of the Orange County Arts Leadership Delegation, an exchange organized and funded by the Lingnan Foundation in partnership with Arts Orange County.

Hosted by the School of Arts at Sun Yat-sen University, the delegation spent eight days in Guangzhou and Kaiping, meeting artists, educators, and cultural leaders across the Greater Bay Area. Rhett was joined by colleagues from across Orange County's arts community, including Patrick Brien (Arts Orange County), Tiffany Ana López (UCI Claire Trevor School of the Arts), Suzanne Appel (South Coast Repertory), Craig Springer (The Barclay), Sean O’Harrow (Bowers Museum), Tommy Phillips (Philharmonic Society of Orange County), and Rick Stein (California Arts Council).

The program moved between scholarship, performance, and heritage. At Sun Yat-sen University, delegates took part in sessions on arts education, cultural narrative, and arts management and venue operations. At Xinghai Concert Hall and the Guangdong National Orchestra, they observed rehearsals and met with orchestra leadership. Roundtables at the Guangzhou Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism and the Guangzhou Opera House explored how public institutions and performing arts centers shape a city's cultural life.

Some of the most memorable moments centered on young artists. At the Guangdong Cantonese Opera Theatre, the group watched young performers in a practice session. At the Haizhu District Children's Palace, they heard the Little Angels Symphony Orchestra and the Little Petrel Choir, then spoke with their artistic directors about training the next generation of musicians. In Kaiping, visits to the UNESCO-listed Zili Village Diaolou and the Kaiping Cultural Center offered a window into overseas-Chinese history and the region's folk song traditions.

“What stayed with me most was how differently the arts are valued. In Guangzhou, a city of nearly 20 million, artistic experience is treated as a necessity, a way of preserving and sharing cultural heritage. Every student, starting in elementary school, has at least 30 minutes each week dedicated to arts learning. In the U.S., we too often treat the arts as a luxury. I came home with new relationships I hope will lead to sustained cross-cultural collaborations that create lasting bonds between our two communities.” 
— Rhett M. Del Campo, President and CEO 

The exchange reflects a value at the center of Pacific Chorale's work: community, in its widest sense. We're grateful to the Lingnan Foundation, Arts Orange County, and our hosts at Sun Yat-sen University for making this week of connection possible.

Rhett in China 2026