Artists at Bard College to celebrate Chinese Lunar New Year

Artists from the US-China Music Institute of the Bard College Conservatory of Music will present two concerts celebrating the Chinese Lunar New Year in late January, said a recent release by the US-China Music Institute.

The concerts are scheduled to take place on Friday in the Richard B. Fisher Center for the Performing Arts at Bard College and on Jan 30 in the Rose Theater of Jazz at Lincoln Center's Frederick P. Rose Hall in New York City.

The concerts celebrating the Chinese Year of the Tiger will feature both traditional and contemporary music of China.

The first half of the program includes Ode to Pear Blossoms from The Royal Consort of Tang, a newly created Peking Opera, as well as two pieces honoring the Yellow River, the cradle of Chinese civilization, according to the release.

Meanwhile, the second half of the program includes the performances using traditional Chinese instruments like pipa and suona in addition to vocal music.

This program represents a selection of pieces that show how Chinese music and Western music can interact with one another, according to Cai Jindong, director of the US-China Music Institute.

Cai says: "Music transcends culture, and I always say that it is the best way for people to understand one another, no matter who they are or where they are from. Obstacles are all around us, both from nature and from the political environment. But through music we have a language that can connect people together and to help us see beyond our differences."

Founded in 2017, the US-China Music Institute has been active in promoting the study, performance and appreciation of music from contemporary China and supporting musical exchanges between the United States and China.

Xinhua