The New York Philharmonic orchestra will arrive in North Korea Monday for a historic concert in the reclusive state.

Led by Music Director Lorin Maazel, some 100 members of the oldest U.S. orchestra will travel to Pyongyang via Beijing aboard a charter plane.

The New York Philharmonic will hold its Pyongyang concert on Tuesday, during which it will play the North Korean and the U.S. national anthems, as well as Dvořák’s New World Symphony.

North Korea’s Ambassador to the U.N. Pak Gil-yon hailed the orchestra’s planned visit, saying it will serve as a crucial cornerstone for Pyongyang-Washington relations.

Attention is being drawn to whether North Korean leader Kim Jong-il will attend Tuesday’s concert.