Sixth annual China Now Music Festival kicks off with stunning concert in NYC
The sixth annual China Now Music Festival kicked off on Wednesday with a captivating opening concert in New York City attended by the Bard East/West Ensemble and prominent virtuoso Wu Man, celebrating the theme of "The Bridge of Music."
This extraordinary concert, held at Rose Theater at Jazz at Lincoln Center Wednesday evening, brought together and cleverly combined various instruments and musical traditions from both the East and the West, showcasing the harmonious fusion of Chinese and Western cultures and backgrounds.
Jindong Cai, artistic director of the festival and conductor of the Bard East/West Ensemble, told Xinhua prior to the concert that this musical event aims to promote understanding and appreciation of the Chinese culture through contemporary Chinese music.
"By bringing instruments with different styles consisting of a Western string quintet and seven Chinese instruments including dizi, erhu, ruan, suona, and guzheng, as well as Chinese and Western percussion, audiences can experience this unprecedented clash of ideas and inspirations," said Cai, who is also director of the U.S.-China Music Institute of the Bard College Conservatory of Music.
Pipa virtuoso Wu, acclaimed for her mastery of the instrument, delivered a stunning performance of "King Chu Doffs His Armour" by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Zhou Long.
Wu Man is performing "King Chu Doffs His Armour."
Inspired by the poignant love story depicted in the film "Farewell My Concubine," and jointly performed with the Bard East/West Ensemble, the piece undoubtedly built a profound emotional connection with the audience.
"I would never miss any concert performances of conductor Jindong Cai, for only he can seamlessly blend traditional Chinese elements with contemporary concepts and he always brings magnificent music to New York audiences," Christine Walevska, a renowned U.S. classical cellist spotted in the audience section, excitedly told Xinhua.
Walevska revealed that she even pushed back the date of her planned trip to Argentina so that she could witness this incredible performance and the upcoming festival events over the weekend.
"Although I am not a music expert, it was easy to enjoy this performance, and the whole idea of performances playing together with Chinese and Western instruments is really touching and wonderful. Music is just the way cuisine is. It accurately represents the unifying concept of cultural exchange," said Shavon, another spectator from New York City.
