Chicago kicks off Chinese New Year celebrations with music concert

(Xinhua) Updated: 2015-02-17 10:11

[Photo/china.com.cn]

Wang Yong, acting consul general of China in Chicago told Xinhua that he was excited to watch this excellent performance, "the performance is a perfect combination of first-grade place, first-grade ensemble and first-grade artists."

Wang noted that many of the audience at Sunday's concert are people other than Chinese origin, saying "quality Chinese cultural and artistic products are being accepted by more people in the United States."

"I was absolutely overwhelmed, I didn"t know what to think," said Tony Karman, President of Expo Chicago, "The blend of the traditional and the contemporary was really an ear opener, an eye opener for someone that knows a little about Chinese music."

Steve Robinson, Executive Vice President of WFMT Radio Network, thought this was an absolutely wonderful concert, saying: "I loved everything, it's hard to pick a single piece."

Scott, from Chicago, told Xinhua: "I don't know the instrument but there was a woman near the beginning who was playing a string instrument that was spectacular. The excitement she had for playing the instrument and her skill is spectacular. It was a wonderful concert."

It was the first time for the Chicago Symphony Center to celebrate a Chinese Lunar New Year by staging a Chinese Lunar New Year Concert.

Chicago started to celebrate Chinese New Year in 2014. "This unique event will grow and expand over time until it is the largest in the North America," Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel said. The festivities in 2015 are planned to be on a much larger scale than the previous year.