With the American and North Korean flags sharing the same stage, the New York Philharmonic opened its historic concert in Pyongyang on Tuesday, performing both countries' national anthems.

The audience stands for the U.S. national anthem at the start of a concert by the New York Philharmonic in Pyongyang on Tuesday. The audience stands for the U.S. national anthem at the start of a concert by the New York Philharmonic in Pyongyang on Tuesday.
(David Guttenfelder/Associated Press)

As audience members stood, Lorin Maazel led the orchestra in the Patriotic Song — North Korea's national anthem — following it with The Star-Spangled Banner. Each performance drew applause. 

Playing the American anthem and the broadcast of the concert live on national television and radio were two of the performing conditions made by the orchestra.

The performance marked the largest U.S. cultural group to perform in the Communist state. Around 400 Americans were in attendance for the event.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-il did not appear to be in attendance at the 2,500-seat East Pyongyang Grand Theatre.

The concert featured Act 3 of Richard Wagner's Lohengrin and Antonin Dvorak's Symphony No. 9, each piece greeted with applause.

Before the orchestra played An American in Paris by George Gershwin, Maazel said, "Someday a composer might write a work entitled "An American in Pyongyang."

Music director Lorin Maazel says the orchestra can help to act as a force for change. Music director Lorin Maazel says the orchestra can help to act as a force for change.
(David Guttenfelder/Associated Press)

The Philharmonic accepted North Korea's invitation to play last year, with the encouragement of the U.S. government, at a time of rare optimism in the long-running nuclear standoff involving the two countries.

Before the concert Maazel said the orchestra has been a force for change in the past. He said its 1959 performance in the Soviet Union helped open that country up to the outside world, which eventually resulted in the downfall of the regime.

Maazel said the concert could be a very small step that would hopefully spark other cultural and social exchanges.

"We are very humble. We are here to make music," he said.

When the concert ended, the Philharmonic received a five-minute standing ovation, with many members of the audience cheering, whistling and waving to the orchestra.

With files from the Associated Press