Conductor as much a maestro in diplomacy as in waving the baton

It seems conductor Richard Pontzious can do what United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon cannot. That is, negotiate the political standoff between the North and South Koreans, at least in the realm of music and dance.

Last Thursday, the 50-plus members of the Pyongyang Children's Arts Group from North Korea, who had been in the city as part of a cultural exchange, dropped by the Academy of Performing Arts to demonstrate their traditional song and dance for Pontzious' Asian Youth Orchestra and staff. They were gathered at the orchestra's rehearsal camp ahead of performances at the Cultural Centre Concert Hall for its Music Fun Fest on August 5, and general concerts on August 6 and 7.

In a shrewd diplomatic move, the orchestra's artistic director (pictured centre, behind the North Korean children) invited to the private performance South Korean consul General Seok Tong-youn, who accepted. After watching the children go through an impeccable routine - moving some of the 19 young South Korean members of the orchestra to tears - Pontzious then pulled off a bold diplomatic coup by introducing South Korea's envoy to North Korean consul Hwang Ik-hwan. When the two shook hands, a cheer broke out from the audience.

If he wasn't such a top conductor, we might nominate Pontzious for a UN post. After all, the guy has been taking mainland musicians to Taiwan and Taiwanese violinists to the mainland for more than two decades.