US-China Music Institute

Shutong Li, conductor
Bitó Conservatory Building, Performance Space  2:00 pm – 3:30 pm EDT/GMT-4
The first concert of the Bard Chinese Ensemble's 24-25 season features concertos for pipa and guqin, with a program full of imaginative storytelling through the unique East/West sounds of this large mixed ensemble.

FREE and open to the public.
View the livestream at https://www.youtube.com/live/8q4QrmV1yyM 

Bitó Conservatory Building, Performance Space  8:00 pm – 9:30 pm EDT/GMT-4
Free and open to the public.

Watch the livestream here!


Download: Program for JinOu Dong.pdf

Shutong Li, conductor
Bitó Conservatory Building, Performance Space  1:00 pm – 2:30 pm EDT/GMT-4
The Bard Chinese Ensemble presents its fourth concert of the academic year, and this is going to be the best one yet!
Conductor Shutong Li once again offers new arrangements of major Chinese orchestral music, plus three exciting concertos for erhu, konghou (Chinese harp), and percussion. 

FREE and open to the public.
 

With Lung Chan, zhongruan; Hiu-Man Chan, guanzi; Njya Lubang, double bass; and Neilson Chen, piano
Bitó Conservatory Building, Performance Space  8:00 pm – 9:00 pm EDT/GMT-4
Featuring recent compositions by the Bard Conservatory's US-China Music Institute faculty member Xinyan Li and Beijing Central Conservatory of Music faculty member Fuhong Shi.

Free and open to the public.
Livestream at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2HOKkWShDQ


Download: Bryan Wang - Degree Recital Program.pdf

Bitó Conservatory Building, Performance Space  1:00 pm – 2:30 pm EDT/GMT-4
Wenrui Shi CMC ’24 is one of the first graduate degree candidates in the Master of Arts in Chinese Music and Culture program at the Bard College Conservatory of Music. 

Free and open to the public.


Download: Wenrui Shi Recital Program.pdf

Bitó Conservatory Building, Performance Space  7:00 pm – 8:30 pm EDT/GMT-4
Free and open to the public.


Download: Yixin Wang Degree Recital Program.pdf

Presented by the US-China Music Institute, the Master of Arts in Chinese Music and Culture Program, and the Asian Studies Program at Bard College
Bard Hall  10:30 am – 4:00 pm EDT/GMT-4
The US-China Music Institute’s annual scholarly conference will be a day-long exploration of music and the creative arts, in collaboration with the Asian Studies program. Free and open to the public. Registration kindly requested. Refreshments will be served. 
REGISTER HERE

CONFERENCE SCHEDULE

SESSION 1 
10:30 am – 12:00 pm
GRADUATE FORUM – Thesis Exhibitions from the First Graduating Class of the MA in Chinese Music and Culture
Beitong Liu 
Wenrui Shi
Lu Xi
Bryan (Zhe) Wang

LUNCH BREAK
Noon – 1:00 pm
Light buffet lunch. (Free) 

SESSION 2
1:00–2:00 pm
SCHOLARS FORUM 
Xia Jing, guzheng scholar and musician
Introducing a System of Teaching Chinese Music in the West 
Yazhi Guo, Chinese winds virtuoso and inventor 
Instrument Invention Demonstration: Guzheng and Hulusi 

OPEN DISCUSSION
2:00–2:30 pm
Chinese tea and snacks will be served. 

SESSION III
2:30–4:00 pm
YAJI (ELEGANT GATHERING)
Classical Chinese Poetry, Calligraphy, and Music

 

Shutong Li, conductor
Bitó Conservatory Building, Performance Space  2:00 pm – 3:30 pm EST/GMT-5
Celebrate the coming of Spring with the Bard Chinese Ensemble!

The program features concerto soloists Yixin Wang '24 on guzheng and Yijie Yin '25 on zhongruan, as well as several new arrangements prepared by conductor Shutong Li especially for the ensemble. 
FREE and open to the public.

View the livestream at youtube.com/watch?v=DijT1NLqp6w

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DijT1NLqp6w

A Chinese New Year Concert with The Orchestra Now, Presented by the US-China Music Institute
Rose Theater, Jazz at Lincoln Center's Frederick P. Rose Hall, The Shops at Columbus Circle, NYC  3:00 pm – 5:00 pm EST/GMT-5
The Sound of Spring returns to Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City to celebrate the year ot the Dragon.

Now in its fifth year, The Sound of Spring is an authentic Chinese New Year concert featuring dramatic orchestral works and world-class Chinese instrument soloists. This year’s program presents a new selection of festive Chinese music to welcome in the lunar new year, with exciting solo performances by erhu virtuoso Zhang Haiyue and dizi virtuoso Feng Tianshi from the Central Conservatory of Music in China. Famed winds master Guo Yazhi will perform a world-premiere suona concerto by composer Xinyan Li.

For tickets and program information visit barduschinamusic.org/events/spring24.

This program will also be performed at the Fisher Center at Bard on February 10 at 3pm.  
 



Press Release: View

Shutong Li, conductor
Bitó Conservatory Building, Performance Space  2:00 pm – 3:30 pm EST/GMT-5
Bard Chinese Ensemble performs a festive concert for the year’s end spotlighting diverse Chinese instruments. The program includes a guzheng trio, three concertos for pipa, guanzi, and guqin, plus large-scale Chinese orchestral masterworks performed by a mixed ensemble of Eastern and Western instruments. 

FREE and open to the public.

View the livestream at youtube.com/live/JQcoQmzh8us 

https://youtube.com/live/JQcoQmzh8us

Download: Bard Chinese Ensemble Winter Concert 2023 Program- Read the Concert Program

Shutong Li, conductor
Bitó Conservatory Building, Performance Space  2:00 pm – 3:30 pm EDT/GMT-4
Let the Bard Chinese Ensemble transport you to the heart of China, offering a sonic voyage through its diverse regions, landscapes, and emotions.

The program features large scale Chinese orchestral works performed by a mixed ensemble of Eastern and Western instruments, each possessing its own unique voice, and together weaving a vibrant tapestry of sound.

FREE and open to the public.

View the livestream at youtube.com/watch?v=RdFE4oIOjHY

youtube.com/watch?v=RdFE4oIOjHY

Download: Bard Chinese Ensemble Fall Concert 2023 Program.pd

China Now Music Festival – The Bridge of Music
Rose Theater at Frederick P. Rose Hall Jazz at Lincoln Center, Columbus Circle, New York, NY  3:00 pm – 5:00 pm EDT/GMT-4
The sixth annual China Now Music Festival closes with a symphonic concert in honor of the 70th year of two extraordinary Chinese American composers, Chen Yi and Zhou Long.

The Orchestra Now and conductor Jindong Cai perform major works by the legendary couple, along with pieces by their mentor and teacher Chou Wen-chung and two of their acclaimed students, Zhou Juan and Li Shaosheng.

For tickets please go to: https://ticketing.jazz.org/15697/15700

 

China Now Music Festival – The Bridge of Music
Asia Society of New York, 725 Park Avenue, New York, NY, 10021  3:00 pm – 5:00 pm EDT/GMT-4
Enjoy an afternoon of engaging discussion and live music as Asia Society of New York and the US-China Music Institute at Bard College present a panel of experts from diverse perspectives to look towards the future of US-China relations in music.

Over the past 50 years, classical music exchange between the US and China has brought many benefits to both nations and remains one of the bright spots in an otherwise complex relationship. Speakers will share their thoughts, experiences, and vision as to how we can best continue developing this relationship going forward, despite the strained political relationship and other obstacles. 

Tickets: $25
($10 for Asia Society Members and students)

PURCHASE TICKETS HERE

MODERATOR
Orville Schell, Arthur Ross Director of the Center on U.S.-China Relations, Asia Society
 
SPEAKERS
Jindong Cai, Director, US-China Music Institute, Bard College Conservatory of Music
Chen Yi, Lorena Searcy Cravens/ Millsap/ Missouri Distinguished Professor of Composition, University of Missouri, Kansas City
Gary Ginstling, President and CEO, New York Philharmonic
Yu Hongmei, erhu virtuoso and Dean, Central Conservatory of Music, China

Others to be announced.
 
PERFORMERS
Liu Xiaojing, pipa virtuoso and Professor at the Central Conservatory of Music, China
Members of the Bard Chinese Ensemble, US-China Music Institute of the Bard College Conservatory of Music

China Now Music Festival – The Bridge of Music
Rose Theater, Frederick P. Rose Hall Jazz at Lincoln Center, Columbus Circle, New York, NY   7:00 pm – 8:45 pm EDT/GMT-4
The sixth annual China Now Music Festival returns to the Rose Theater at Jazz at Lincoln Center for the NY debut of the Bard East/West Ensemble, an innovative music group combining Chinese and Western instruments to create a new model of cross-cultural performance.

The program features new arrangements of music by Tan Dun, Zhou Long, and Aaron Copland, as well as several new works by outstanding young composers from China, including members of the legendary faculty of the Central Conservatory of Music. Internationally renowned pipa virtuoso Wu Man will join the ensemble to perform a new arrangement of Zhou Long’s popular pipa concerto, ‘King Chu Doff’s His Armor’.

For tickets please go to: https://ticketing.jazz.org/15697/15698

 

CHINA NOW MUSIC FESTIVAL - THE BRIDGE OF MUSIC
Bitó Conservatory Building, Performance Space  8:00 pm – 9:45 pm EDT/GMT-4
The opening concert of the sixth annual China Now Music Festival features the NY debut of the Bard East/West Ensemble, an innovative music group combining Chinese and Western instruments to create a new model of cross-cultural performance.


The program features new arrangements of music by Tan Dun, Zhou Long, and Aaron Copland, as well as several new works by outstanding young composers from China, including members of the legendary faculty of the Central Conservatory of Music.
Internationally renowned pipa virtuoso Wu Man will join the ensemble to perform a new arrangement of Zhou Long’s popular pipa concerto, ‘King Chu Doff’s His Armor’.

THIS EVENT IS FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.

Olin Hall  2:00 pm – 4:00 pm EDT/GMT-4

The annual spring concert of the Bard Chinese Ensemble will be a special occasion in 2023, celebrating five years of the US-China Music Institute and the graduation of the first class of Chinese instrument majors in the Bard Conservatory. The concert program will feature a number of chamber works for mixed Chinese and Western instruments, plus a new selection of traditional pieces especially arranged by Ensemble Director Chen Tao.

Free and open to the public. A reception will follow the concert in the lobby of Olin Hall. 

Livestream link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxZlnZlDmGw

 

The sonic dimensions of Chinese noise art represented through the traditional Chinese musical instrument pipa.
Bitó Conservatory Building  6:00 pm EDT/GMT-4
Free and open to the public. 

Livestream

  Part of the 5th Annual Conference of the US-China Music Institute, Ancient Echoes and New Sounds: Guqin in the 21st Century
Bard Hall  12:00 pm – 3:00 pm EDT/GMT-4
The Yaji is a very special annual event, now in its second year, which is based on an ancient Chinese tradition combining literature, music, and calligraphy in a casual social setting. Enjoy musical performances, poetry recitals, and calligraphy demonstrations from students of the college, Bard professors Mingmei Yip, Huiwen Li, and Shuangting Xiong, and special guests the Trio of Three Continents (Gao Hong, pipa; Leonard Jacome, Venezueland harp; Issam Rafea, oud). 

The event will begin with a dedication in poetry and song to the memory of Bard professor of Chinese Li-hua Ying. 

Free and open to the public. Bard community members are welcome to attend. Audience members can come and go at any time.
Refreshments will be served. 

Facebook Live Link: https://fb.me/e/3yNDRGhnT  

Read more about the annual conference, Ancient Echoes and New Sounds: Guqin in the 21st Century

Improvisation and Ensemble Performance Techniques
Chapel of the Holy Innocents  9:00 am – 11:00 am EDT/GMT-4
Pipa virtuoso, composer, and master teacher Gao Hong returns to Bard after her amazing performance in the annual Chinese New Year concert at the Fisher Center in January, to offer a master class for the pipa students of the Bard Conservatory of Music. Members of the Bard community are welcome to attend this event, which will focus on improvisational ensemble performance. Music or Conservatory students interested in unique improvisational styles and Chinese performing techniques will be especially interested. 

Gao Hong is a world renowned Chinese pipa artist, composer, educator, and improviser. She graduated from Beijing's Central Conservatory of Music where she studied with Lin Shicheng. Gao has performed worldwide in solo concerts, with symphony orchestras, and with musicians from other cultures and musical genres. Her awards include fellowships from the Bush and McKnight Foundations, a Sorel Medallion in Recording, a Sally Award, 6 gold medals from the Global Music Awards, grants from Mid Atlantic Arts and the Minnesota State Arts Board, and numerous commissions from orchestras, chamber groups, dance troupes, media outlets and other organizations. She teaches at Carleton College and directs the Chinese Music Ensemble, she also is Guest Professor at the Central, China, and Tianjin conservatories.
 

Ancient Echoes and New Sounds - Guqin in the 21st Century
Olin Hall  7:30 pm – 9:00 pm EDT/GMT-4
As a part of the US-China Music Institute’s annual spring conference, Bard presents Chinese guqin virtuoso Zhao Xiaoxia for an on-stage collaboration with Gao Hong’s cross-cultural music trio, Trio of Three Continents. This unique concert celebrates the heritage of traditional string instruments from around the world, while showcasing these four artists' interpretive and improvisational mastery. 

Zhao Xiaoxia is renowned in China as a master performer of traditional and contemporary guqin music. She serves on the faculty of the prestigious Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. She will perform several solo pieces during the first half of the concert, and will join the Trio during part of the second half. 

Trio of Three Continents is a US-based ensemble and this version of the ensemble features master musicians from China, Venezuela and Syria: Gao Hong (Chinese pipa), Leonard Jacome (Venezuelan harp) and Issam Rafea (Oud), presenting a new form of collaborative world music that melds styles and sensibilities.


 

Part of the US-China Music Institute Annual Conference Ancient Echoes and New Sounds: Guqin in the 21st Century
Bard Hall  7:30 pm – 9:30 pm EDT/GMT-4
Performed by students of the Bard Conservatory, this concert opens the 5th annual US-China Music Institute conference, Ancient Echoes and New Sounds: Guqin in the 21st Century.
The program focuses on guqin performance in various combinations, and the musical revival of this ancient instrument.
This concert is coordinated by the guqin students of the US-China Music Institute and Zhao Jiazhen, Professor of Guqin, Central Conservatory of Music, China. 
The event will begin with a welcome message from Professor Jindong Cai, director of the US-China Music Institute, and a keynote speech by visiting scholar Joseph Lam, Professor of Musicology, University of Michigan. 

Facebook Live Stream Link: https://fb.me/e/RpgPnrj
 

5th Annual Conference of the US-China Music Institute
Bitó CPS, Bard Hall, Olin Hall, Fisher Center  The fifth annual conference of the US-China Music Institute, Ancient Echoes and New Sounds: Guqin in the 21st Century, is a three-day series of scholarly, interactive, and musical events looking at how this ancient instrument has been revived and reimagined for today.

The guqin is a 7-stringed wooden instrument associated with the spiritual and intellectual culture of the literati class in ancient China. The conference will bring together renowned guqin scholars and performers from China and the US to consider and demonstrate how the guqin has found new life in contemporary musical culture. All events are open to the Bard community and the general public. 

 

CONFERENCE SCHEDULE

THURSDAY, APRIL 6TH
Bard Hall
7:30PM to 9:30PM Keynote Address and Student Concert

FRIDAY, APRIL 7TH
László Z. Bitó ’60 Conservatory Building
10AM to 12PM Graduate Student lecture recitals
1PM to 5PM Guqin Scholar Talks & Panel Discussion
7:30PM to 9:30PM Zhao Xiaoxia and the Trio of Three Continents — a concert of Guqin and mixed ensemble music

SATURDAY, APRIL 8TH 
12PM to 3PM
Bard Hall
Annual Yaji 雅集 ‘Elegant Gathering’
— calligraphy, poetry, painting, music, and tea

7PM to 9:30PM
Fisher Center
Naomi Woo Conducts THE ORCHESTRA NOW
— with Zhao Xiaoxia, guqin, and Stella Chen, violin

 

A Chinese New Year Concert with The Orchestra Now, Presented by the US-China Music Institute
Rose Theater, Jazz at Lincoln Center's Frederick P. Rose Hall, The Shops at Columbus Circle, NYC  3:00 pm – 5:00 pm EST/GMT-5
The Sound of Spring returns to Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City for an authentic Chinese New Year concert to welcome in the year ot the Rabbit.

Jindong Cai conducts The Orchestra Now in a program featuring the beloved Butterfly Lovers Violin Concerto and other works of Chinese symphonic music. 

For tickets and program information visit barduschinamusic.org/events/the-sound-of-spring-jalc-2023.

This program will also be performed at the Fisher Center at Bard on January 27. 
 



Press Release: View

Professor Xinyan Li's Chinese Folk Music Class
Jazz Room, Blum N211  4:00 pm – 5:00 pm EST/GMT-5
Students of the course Literature and Language of Chinese Music III: Folk Music, taught by Professor Xinyan Li, present a concert of traditional folk tunes and new student compositions in the styles of different regions of China.

Chen Tao, conductor
Bitó Conservatory Building, Performance Space  2:00 pm – 3:30 pm EST/GMT-5
The Bard Chinese Ensemble welcomes Kunqu and Peking opera singer Michelle Yang to perform music from Peony Pavilion and other Chinese opera. The program will also feature premieres of several new arrangements of Chinese music by director Chen Tao for the Ensemble’s unique mix of Chinese and Western instruments.

Free and open to the public.
This concert will also be livestreamed on YouTube at https://youtu.be/G4EWmxvN54g

https://youtu.be/G4EWmxvN54g

Part of the Fifth Annual China Now Festival
Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center  7:30 pm – 9:30 pm EDT/GMT-4
The music of Alexander Tcherepnin and the art of Xu Beihong 徐悲鸿

The Fifth annual China Now Music Festival concludes with a program highlighting the aesthetic crosscurrents between East and West in the early-mid 20th century, including symphonic works in honor of the great painter Xu Beihong (1895-1953), and a rarely performed chamber opera by Russian composer Alexander Tcherepnin (1899-1977). Jindong Cai conducts the Orchestra of the New Asia CMS, with guest soloists including pianist Xu Fangfang, the daughter of Xu Beihong.

More information HERE.

Part of the 5th Annual China Now Music Festival - East of West
Rose Theater, Jazz at Lincoln Center   7:30 pm – 9:00 pm EDT/GMT-4
Painted Skin 画皮 is composer Hao Weiya’s modern operatic interpretation of a haunting story from Strange Tales of Liao Zhai* by Pu Songling (originally published in 1740).
The opera made its debut in 2018 at the Shanghai Oriental Art Center in Shanghai. For the 2022 China Now Music Festival, director Michael Hoffman and music director Jindong Cai have created a new production that transports this supernatural ghost story to modern America, and features a cast of three singers, including acclaimed NY-based Peking opera singer Qian Yi, accompanied by a 20-piece Chinese chamber orchestra.
An all new production directed by Michael Hoffman VAP '15 and conducted by Jindong Cai.
more information HERE

Part of the Fifth Annual China Now Music Festival - East of West
Hudson Hall, 327 Warren St, Hudson, NY 12534  7:00 pm – 9:30 pm EDT/GMT-4
Painted Skin 画皮 is composer Hao Weiya’s modern operatic interpretation of a haunting story from Strange Tales of Liao Zhai* by Pu Songling (originally published in 1740).

The opera made its debut in 2018 at the Shanghai Oriental Art Center in Shanghai. For the 2022 China Now Music Festival, director Michael Hoffman and music director Jindong Cai have created a new production that transports this supernatural ghost story to modern America, and features a cast of three singers,accompanied by a 20-piece Chinese chamber orchestra.

An all new production directed by Michael Hoffman VAP ’15 and conducted by Jindong Cai.

More information HERE

East of West, the Fifth Annual China Now Music Festival
Rose Theater, Jazz at Lincoln Center  8:00 pm – 9:30 pm EDT/GMT-4
The opening concert of the 2022 the China Now Music Festival takes us to the streets, alleyways, and majestic outskirts of Beijing with a program featuring selections from Guo Wenjing’s opera Rickshaw Boy, Ye Xiaogang’s powerful Great Wall Symphony, and Russian-born Jewish American composer Aaron Avshalomov’s Hutongs of Peking. Jindong Cai conducts The Orchestra Now and guest soloists.

More information HERE

Spring Concert
Bitó Conservatory Building, Performance Space  1:00 pm – 2:30 pm EDT/GMT-4
The Bard Chinese Ensemble presents a selection of traditional and new music for Chinese and Western instruments, with original compositions and arrangements by Chinese Ensemble director Chen Tao.PROGRAMThe Long Tune (Mongolian Suite No. 1)    
Chen Tao

Mongolian (Mongolian Suite No. 2)            
Tengger
Arr. Chen Tao

Toast Song & Chopstick Dance (Mongolian Suite No. 3) 
Chen Tao

Moon Reflecting in the Er-Quan Pond
A Bing
Arr. by Pen Xiu-Wen
Re-arr. by Chen Tao

Melody of Raiment of Rainbows
Jiang-Nan Silk & Bamboo music
Arr. by Chen Tao

Arkansas Traveler
Arr. by Chen Tao

At the Frontier 
Classical music 
Arr. by Zhang Da-Sen
Re-arr. by Chen Tao

Dance of Yun Nan 
Chen Tao
Livestream link: https://youtu.be/GpEQg2ypE9A

Bard Conservatory events are now open to fully vaccinated members of the community.
All visitors must demonstrate proof of vaccination to attend in person. 
 
ABOUT THE ENSEMBLE

The Bard Chinese Ensemble is composed of the Conservatory’s Chinese instrument majors and various students of Western instruments joining each semester, depending on the repertoire. Chinese Ensemble is an essential component of the double-degree program in Chinese instruments offered through the US-China Music Institute at Bard, in partnership with the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing.

The director and conductor of the Chinese Ensemble is Chen Tao, a dizi (bamboo flute) master and the artistic director of Melody of Dragon, an educational and performing arts organization in New York City focusing on traditional Chinese music. Chen Tao studied at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, and has been teaching and performing in the New York area for nearly 30 years.

 

World Music Workshop
Bard Hall  7:00 pm – 8:00 pm EDT/GMT-4
Local musician Chris Stephens will offer a special educational performance featuring a collection of historic lute instruments from the Silk Road, including the Chinese pipa and the sitar of India, each performed in their traditional style along with American folk music on the Banjo. Chris will discuss and demonstrate each instrument's unique specialties and highlight their similarities stemming from their shared history.

About: 
Chris Stephens is a multi-instrumentalist musician specializing in the connections among Silk Road lutes and the banjo. Originally a sitar student of Hindustani music master Ustad Imrat Khan, Chris took interest in the relationships between instruments related to sitar and through years of practice and immersive listening has been teaching himself the traditional music of China, Persia, and the Middle East for over 10 years. Originally from Missouri, Chris has brought his music program around the Midwest US during his musical career, and now resides in New York’s Hudson Valley. Website: WorldMusician.co

This event is free to the public and is sponsored by the US-China Music Institute. Non-Bard community members must submit proof of vaccination to attend. Register at: https://forms.gle/1fQbjYVj8xp9XUL8A

Part of the Conference Ink and Sound: a Conference on Chinese Music and Visual Arts
Olin Auditorium  7:00 pm – 9:00 pm EDT/GMT-4
The US-China Music Institute proudly presents the premiere performances of three new works by composers Hingyan Chan, Yiwen Shen, and Yeung-Ping Chen for mixed ensembles of Western and Chinese instruments. These works were commissioned as part of the Ink Art and New Music Project, a collaboration between the Bard Conservatory, Hong Kong University, and the M+ Museum, Hong Kong. Each of the new compositions was developed in response to a specific piece of art from M+ Museum's extensive collection of 20th-21st Century Ink Art from Asia. 

Bard Conservatory musicians will perform the new works as part of the US-China Music Institute's fourth annual conference, Ink and Sound: a Conference on Chinese Music and Visual Arts.

In addition, the newly formed Bard East/West Ensemble will preview two pieces from their upcoming debut at the Kennedy Center on April 16 for the Coal + Ice festival on climate change, sponsored by Asia Society. With special guest Guo Yazhi on selected wind instruments. 

 

Part of the Conference Ink and Sound: a Conference on Chinese Music and Visual Arts
Bard Hall  12:00 pm – 3:00 pm EDT/GMT-4
Join students and faculty from the Asian Studies Program and the US-China Music Institute in a multidisciplinary interactive salon, an Elegant Gathering ('Yaji' 雅集) inspired by the traditions of the literati in ancient China, featuring Chinese music and calligraphy demonstrations, plus poetry readings. Professor Li-hua Ying will introduce the event with a talk on how poetry, painting, calligraphy, and music have connected deeply in Chinese culture.  

Light lunch and tea will be served.
(Suggested donation; $20 ($10 for students). Cash only.)

This event is part of the US-China Music Institute's fourth annual conference, Ink and Sound: a Conference on Chinese Music and Visual Arts.


 

Part of the Conference Ink and Sound: a Conference on Chinese Music and Visual Arts
Bitó Conservatory Building, Performance Space  7:00 pm – 8:30 pm EDT/GMT-4
The US-China Music Institute proudly presents the premiere performances of four new chamber works for mixed ensembles of Western and Chinese instruments, created by composition students of the Bard Conservatory of Music and Hong Kong University as part of the Ink Art and New Music Project, a collaboration between the Bard Conservatory, Hong Kong University, and the M+ Museum, Hong Kong. Each of the four new compositions was developed in response to a specific piece of art from M+ Museum's extensive collection of 20th-21st Century Ink Art from Asia. 

Bard Conservatory musicians will perform the new works, plus a selection of additional Chinese chamber pieces, as part of the US-China Music Institute's fourth annual conference, Ink and Sound: a Conference on Chinese Music and Visual Arts. 

Scholars' Presentations
Bitó Conservatory Building, Performance Space  2:00 pm – 4:00 pm EDT/GMT-4
The US-China Music Institute's annual conference, co-presented this year by the Asian Studies Program, invites four scholars to discuss the intersections between Chinese music, calligraphy, and visual arts.

Presentations

Qing 清: the Key Standard of Qin Aesthetics in Song Dynasty China (960-1279)
Meimei Zhang, Occidental College, Department of Comparative Studies in Language and Culture

Silk Strings and Rabbit Hair: Qin Music and Calligraphy
Mingmei Yip, Bard Conservatory of Music, US-China Music Institute

Chinese Calligraphy: History, Significance, and Musicality
Yu Li, Loyola Marymount University, Department of Modern Languages and Literatures

Chen Zhen: the Harmony of the Life Force
Patricia Eichenbaum Karetzky, Bard College, Asian Studies and Art History

Q&A and Discussion to follow. 

The Ink and Sound conference is being held in celebration of the completion of the first major phase of the Ink Art and New Music Project, a collaboration between the Bard Conservatory, Hong Kong University, and M+, Hong Kong. During the conference two concerts will feature premieres of seven new musical compositions, each inspired by contemporary ink art in the M+ collection and featuring mixed Chinese and Western instruments. 

More information at: Ink and Sound: a Conference on Chinese Music and Visual Arts. 

A Chinese New Year Concert with The Orchestra Now
Fisher Center, Sosnoff Theater  8:00 pm – 10:00 pm EST/GMT-5
The third annual Chinese New Year Concert presented by the US-China Music Institute of the Bard College Conservatory of Music, The Sound of Spring, is a celebration of one of the most important holidays in the Lunar calendar, a time for enjoying friends and family and looking ahead to the bright future of a new year. This year’s concert features Bard’s The Orchestra Now, joined by a select group of top vocal and instrumental artists, performing musical works that showcase the wonderful diversity and artistry of Chinese symphonic music.

Pre-Concert talk with Jindong Cai at 7 PM

Chapel of the Holy Innocents  4:00 pm – 5:00 pm EST/GMT-5

Are you interested in Chinese Han folk songs and minority folk songs? Are you interested in original works composed for Chinese ensembles and mixed ensembles for Chinese instruments and Western instruments? Please join the students of the US-China Music Institute of the Bard College Conservatory of Music for a concert of Chinese folk songs and a selection of their own compositions.

Directed by Prof. Xinyan Li, you will hear Northern Shaanxi mountain song Lan Huahua, Hunan style working song Laying Foundation, Mongolian folk song Swan Geese, Uyghur folk song Half Moon Rises with pipa,Yunan mountain song Flowing Stream with guqin, and Northern Shaanxi love song Thirty Miles Village with dizi and erhu. You will also hear the world premiere of six original works composed by our Chinese instrument majors, including a dizi solo, plus duets for pipa and erhu, guzheng and erhu, guqin and viola, and guzheng and cello. The concert is free and open to the public. 

Time: Tuesday, December 7, 2021, 4:00pm
Location:  Chapel of the Holy Innocents, 1387 Annandale Rd, Annandale-On-Hudson, NY

We hope you will join us! Thank you.

Winter Concert
Bitó Conservatory Building, Performance Space  2:00 pm – 3:30 pm EST/GMT-5
The Chinese Ensemble returns to live concerts at Bard with an exciting program for mixed Chinese and Western instruments, especially arranged for the ensemble by conductor Chen Tao. 

Bard Conservatory events are now open to fully vaccinated members of the community.
All visitors must register and demonstrate proof of vaccination in advance and wear a mask in any indoor campus setting.

Register to attend here: https://forms.gle/yGHSncyESFCqF8489

This concert will also be livestreamed. 
View the livestream here on 12-5 at 2pm. 

PROGRAM
Good Friends 阿西里西 by Zhu Yi, Arr. by Chen Tao
Autumn Thoughts 秋思 – 古琴与乐队 by Chen Tao & Liu Li
Little Boat 小行舟 Folk Music, Arr. by Chen Tao
Song of Flower & Drum 花香鼓舞 by Shang Yi, Arr. by Chen Tao
Buddha in the Temple 佛上殿 Classical Music, Arr. by Chen Tao
Hometown Ballad 乡谣 by Cao Wen-Gong, Arr. by Chen Tao

Plus selected chamber pieces for small ensemble.
ABOUT THE ENSEMBLE

The Bard Chinese Ensemble is mainly composed of the Conservatory’s Chinese instrument majors, along with various students of Western instruments joining each semester, depending on the repertoire. With increased enrollment in Chinese instrument majors each year since 2018, this year the Ensemble is composed of nearly 20 musicians.

Conductor and arranger Chen Tao is a dizi (bamboo flute) master and the artistic director of Melody of Dragon, an educational and performing arts organization in New York City focusing on traditional Chinese music. Chen Tao studied at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, and has been teaching and performing in the New York area for nearly 30 years.

 

Composing for Mixed Ensemble of Chinese and Western Instruments
Online Event  8:30 am – 10:00 am EDT/GMT-4
This event is part of the “Ink Art and New Music” Creative Exchange Project

This lecture will introduce modern and contemporary ink art, an area of artistic expression that reinterprets traditional ink painting and calligraphy and encompasses painting, sculpture, installation, and even animation. Using works from the permanent collection of M+, the new visual culture museum in Hong Kong opening in November 2021, the talk will highlight important themes and breakthroughs in the development of ink art since the 1950s and artists from diverse backgrounds who have invigorated the centuries-old heritage.

This Zoom webinar masterclass is open to the public for viewing.
Register for free online at: https://www.art-mate.net/buy_ticket/60265

Speaker:
Dr. Lesley Ma
Curator of M+, Hong Kong
 
Moderator:
Jindong Cai
Director of the US-China Music Institute, Bard Conservatory of Music
 
Student Composers:
Austin Leung, Hong Kong University
Samuel Mutter, Bard Conservatory of Music
OGA, Bard Conservatory of Music
Jing Wang, Hong Kong University

Copresenters: US-China Music Institute; Bard College Conservatory of Music; Hong Kong University Cultural Management Office; Hong Kong University Department of Music; M+ Museum, Hong Kong

Cosponsors: Asian Cultural Council; Endowment Funds for Music & Fine Arts; Lee Hysan Foundation

US-China Music Institute Summer Learning Series
Online Event  7:30 pm – 9:00 pm EDT/GMT-4
Over more than three thousand years of history, China has developed a unique musical aesthetic tradition which intertwined with its philosophy, culture and customs. This three-week course will present music in its social, philosophical, and cultural context and will be suitable for anyone who is interested in Chinese music and culture.

CLASS FULL; REGISTRATION IS CLOSED

The class will be taught primarily in English. Knowledge of Chinese is not required, although Chinese speakers are welcome. You do not need to be a Bard student to attend. 

Taught by Professor Mingmei Yip, on the faculty of the Bard Conservatory and an accomplished author, musician, scholar, and artist. 

US-China Music Institute Summer Learning Series
Online Event  7:30 pm – 9:00 pm EDT/GMT-4
Over more than three thousand years of history, China has developed a unique musical aesthetic tradition which intertwined with its philosophy, culture and customs. This three-week course will present music in its social, philosophical, and cultural context and will be suitable for anyone who is interested in Chinese music and culture.

CLASS FULL; REGISTRATION IS CLOSED

The class will be taught primarily in English. Knowledge of Chinese is not required, although Chinese speakers are welcome. You do not need to be a Bard student to attend. 

Taught by Professor Mingmei Yip, on the faculty of the Bard Conservatory and an accomplished author, musician, scholar, and artist. 

US-China Music Institute Summer Learning Series
Online Event  7:30 pm – 9:00 pm EDT/GMT-4
Over more than three thousand years of history, China has developed a unique musical aesthetic tradition which intertwined with its philosophy, culture and customs. This three-week course will present music in its social, philosophical, and cultural context and will be suitable for anyone who is interested in Chinese music and culture.

CLASS FULL; REGISTRATION IS CLOSED

The class will be taught primarily in English. Knowledge of Chinese is not required, although Chinese speakers are welcome. You do not need to be a Bard student to attend. 

Taught by Professor Mingmei Yip, on the faculty of the Bard Conservatory and an accomplished author, musician, scholar, and artist. 

US-China Music Institute Summer Learning Series
Online Event  7:30 pm – 9:00 pm EDT/GMT-4
Over more than three thousand years of history, China has developed a unique musical aesthetic tradition which intertwined with its philosophy, culture and customs. This three-week course will present music in its social, philosophical, and cultural context and will be suitable for anyone who is interested in Chinese music and culture.

CLASS FULL; REGISTRATION IS CLOSED

The class will be taught primarily in English. Knowledge of Chinese is not required, although Chinese speakers are welcome. You do not need to be a Bard student to attend. 

Taught by Professor Mingmei Yip, on the faculty of the Bard Conservatory and an accomplished author, musician, scholar, and artist. 

US-China Music Institute Summer Learning Series
Online Event  7:30 pm – 9:00 pm EDT/GMT-4
Over more than three thousand years of history, China has developed a unique musical aesthetic tradition which intertwined with its philosophy, culture and customs. This three-week course will present music in its social, philosophical, and cultural context and will be suitable for anyone who is interested in Chinese music and culture.

CLASS FULL; REGISTRATION IS CLOSED

The class will be taught primarily in English. Knowledge of Chinese is not required, although Chinese speakers are welcome. You do not need to be a Bard student to attend. 

Taught by Professor Mingmei Yip, on the faculty of the Bard Conservatory and an accomplished author, musician, scholar, and artist. 

US-China Music Institute Summer Learning Series
Online Event  7:30 pm – 9:00 pm EDT/GMT-4
Over more than three thousand years of history, China has developed a unique musical aesthetic tradition which intertwined with its philosophy, culture and customs. This three-week course will present music in its social, philosophical, and cultural context and will be suitable for anyone who is interested in Chinese music and culture.

CLASS FULL; REGISTRATION IS CLOSED

The class will be taught primarily in English. Knowledge of Chinese is not required, although Chinese speakers are welcome. You do not need to be a Bard student to attend. 

Taught by Professor Mingmei Yip, on the faculty of the Bard Conservatory and an accomplished author, musician, scholar, and artist. 

US-China Music Institute Summer Learning Series
Online Event  8:00 pm – 10:00 pm EDT/GMT-4
During six two-hour long classes, students will be taught how to compose for Chinese instruments in various Chinese music styles and to orchestrate a piano work for Chinese ensembles and mixed ensembles of Chinese and Western instruments.

CLASS FULL; REGISTRATION IS CLOSED

Taught by Professor Xinyan Li of the Bard Conservatory faculty, a distinguished musician, composer, and educator. 

US-China Music Institute Summer Learning Series
Online Event  8:00 pm – 10:00 pm EDT/GMT-4
During six two-hour long classes, students will be taught how to compose for Chinese instruments in various Chinese music styles and to orchestrate a piano work for Chinese ensembles and mixed ensembles of Chinese and Western instruments.

CLASS FULL; REGISTRATION IS CLOSED

Taught by Professor Xinyan Li of the Bard Conservatory faculty, a distinguished musician, composer, and educator. 

US-China Music Institute Summer Learning Series
Online Event  8:00 pm – 10:00 pm EDT/GMT-4
During six two-hour long classes, students will be taught how to compose for Chinese instruments in various Chinese music styles and to orchestrate a piano work for Chinese ensembles and mixed ensembles of Chinese and Western instruments.

CLASS FULL; REGISTRATION IS CLOSED

Taught by Professor Xinyan Li of the Bard Conservatory faculty, a distinguished musician, composer, and educator. 

US-China Music Institute Summer Learning Series
Online Event  8:00 pm – 10:00 pm EDT/GMT-4
During six two-hour long classes, students will be taught how to compose for Chinese instruments in various Chinese music styles and to orchestrate a piano work for Chinese ensembles and mixed ensembles of Chinese and Western instruments.

CLASS FULL; REGISTRATION IS CLOSED

Taught by Professor Xinyan Li of the Bard Conservatory faculty, a distinguished musician, composer, and educator. 

US-China Music Institute Summer Learning Series
Online Event  8:00 pm – 10:00 pm EDT/GMT-4
During six two-hour long classes, students will be taught how to compose for Chinese instruments in various Chinese music styles and to orchestrate a piano work for Chinese ensembles and mixed ensembles of Chinese and Western instruments.

CLASS FULL; REGISTRATION IS CLOSED

Taught by Professor Xinyan Li of the Bard Conservatory faculty, a distinguished musician, composer, and educator. 

US-China Music Institute Summer Learning Series
Online Event  8:00 pm – 10:00 pm EDT/GMT-4
During six two-hour long classes, students will be taught how to compose for Chinese instruments in various Chinese music styles and to orchestrate a piano work for Chinese ensembles and mixed ensembles of Chinese and Western instruments.

CLASS FULL; REGISTRATION IS CLOSED

Taught by Professor Xinyan Li of the Bard Conservatory faculty, a distinguished musician, composer, and educator. 

Online Event  8:00 pm – 9:30 pm EDT/GMT-4
The Bard Chinese Ensemble will present their annual spring concert from Beijing, China, where most of Bard's Chinese instrument majors are studying this year at the Central Conservatory of Music.

More information about the program is available on the US-China Music Institute website.

Watch the livestream at https://youtu.be/Jh8Z1NmMRIE.


Download: Chinese Ensemble Program Spring 2021.pdf View the concert program. 

AN ONLINE CONFERENCE AND PERFORMANCE SERIES, APRIL 8-10, 2021
Day Three
Online Event  7:30 pm – 9:30 pm EDT/GMT-4
This year’s annual conference of the US-China Music Institute will explore forms of Buddhist musical practice through online discussions, performances, and demonstrations. Speakers will provide historical, sociological, and musicological context for musical rituals in Buddhist traditions. Performances will draw from different regions and styles of traditional chanting, ceremonial music, and contemporary composition. 

All events are free and open to the public. Learn more and register to receive links prior to each event at barduschinamusic.org/harmony2021
 CONFERENCE EVENT SCHEDULETHURSDAY, APRIL 8BUDDHISM, MUSIC, AND SOCIETY


Panel Discussion (Zoom) 5:30-7pm EST
Speakers Andrew Quintman, Professor of Religious Studies, Wesleyan University Mingmei Yip, Visiting Professor of Chinese Music History, Bard College Chen Tao, Professor of Chinese Music, Bard College; Artistic Director, Melody of Dragon, Inc. Zhai Fengjian, Associate Researcher, China National Academy of Fine Arts
 Performance (Streaming) 8-9pm ESTFeaturing ceremonial chanting from Daxiangguo Temple, Kaifang, Henan Province Zhihua Temple, Beijing Mount Wutai Buddhist Monk Ensemble, Shanxi Province Jade Buddha Temple, Shanghai Huafan University, Department of Buddhist Studies, Taipei International Buddhist Progress Society (IBPS), North America (multiple locations) Labrang Monastery, Gansu Autonomous Tibetan Prefecture FRIDAY, APRIL 9ENTERING THE WORLD, THE PATH OF MUSIC

Panel Discussion (Zoom) 5:30-7pm ESTModerated by
Dominique Townsend, Professor of Religious Studies, and Jindong Cai, director of the US-China Music Institute

with
Jamyang Dolma, Founding Director, Academy of Himalayan Art and Child Development
Drukmo Gyal, singer
Ganavya Doraiswamy, singerPerformance (Streaming) 8-9pm ESTModern Tibetan chant, traditional instrumental music, and modern works from composers Tan Dun and Qu Xiaosong. 
 SATURDAY, APRIL 10A BLESSING FROM BHUTANThe final day of the Harmony and Compassion takes us on a virtual journey to the Kingdom of Bhutan, “the happiest country on earth.”Performance (Streaming) 7:30-8:30pm ESTDiscussion and Q&A (Zoom) 8:30-9:30pm EST

Presented by: US-China Music Institute
 

AN ONLINE CONFERENCE AND PERFORMANCE SERIES, APRIL 8-10, 2021
Day Two
Online Event  5:30 pm – 9:00 pm EDT/GMT-4
This year’s annual conference of the US-China Music Institute will explore forms of Buddhist musical practice through online discussions, performances, and demonstrations. Speakers will provide historical, sociological, and musicological context for musical rituals in Buddhist traditions. Performances will draw from different regions and styles of traditional chanting, ceremonial music, and contemporary composition. 

All events are free and open to the public. Learn more and register to receive links prior to each event at barduschinamusic.org/harmony2021
 CONFERENCE EVENT SCHEDULETHURSDAY, APRIL 8BUDDHISM, MUSIC, AND SOCIETY


Panel Discussion (Zoom) 5:30-7pm EST
Speakers Andrew Quintman, Professor of Religious Studies, Wesleyan University Mingmei Yip, Visiting Professor of Chinese Music History, Bard College Chen Tao, Professor of Chinese Music, Bard College; Artistic Director, Melody of Dragon, Inc. Zhai Fengjian, Associate Researcher, China National Academy of Fine Arts
 Performance (Streaming) 8-9pm ESTFeaturing ceremonial chanting from Daxiangguo Temple, Kaifang, Henan Province Zhihua Temple, Beijing Mount Wutai Buddhist Monk Ensemble, Shanxi Province Jade Buddha Temple, Shanghai Huafan University, Department of Buddhist Studies, Taipei International Buddhist Progress Society (IBPS), North America (multiple locations) Labrang Monastery, Gansu Autonomous Tibetan Prefecture FRIDAY, APRIL 9ENTERING THE WORLD, THE PATH OF MUSIC

Panel Discussion (Zoom) 5:30-7pm ESTModerated by
Dominique Townsend, Professor of Religious Studies, and Jindong Cai, director of the US-China Music Institute

with
Jamyang Dolma, Founding Director, Academy of Himalayan Art and Child Development
Drukmo Gyal, singer
Ganavya Doraiswamy, singerPerformance (Streaming) 8-9pm ESTModern Tibetan chant, traditional instrumental music, and modern works from composers Tan Dun and Qu Xiaosong. 
 SATURDAY, APRIL 10A BLESSING FROM BHUTANThe final day of the Harmony and Compassion takes us on a virtual journey to the Kingdom of Bhutan, “the happiest country on earth.”Performance (Streaming) 7:30-8:30pm ESTDiscussion and Q&A (Zoom) 8:30-9:30pm EST

Presented by: US-China Music Institute
 

AN ONLINE CONFERENCE AND PERFORMANCE SERIES, APRIL 8-10, 2021
Day One
Online Event  5:30 pm – 9:00 pm EDT/GMT-4
This year’s annual conference of the US-China Music Institute will explore forms of Buddhist musical practice through online discussions, performances, and demonstrations. Speakers will provide historical, sociological, and musicological context for musical rituals in Buddhist traditions. Performances will draw from different regions and styles of traditional chanting, ceremonial music, and contemporary composition. 

All events are free and open to the public. Learn more and register to receive links prior to each event at barduschinamusic.org/harmony2021
 CONFERENCE EVENT SCHEDULETHURSDAY, APRIL 8BUDDHISM, MUSIC, AND SOCIETY


Panel Discussion (Zoom) 5:30-7pm EST
Speakers Andrew Quintman, Professor of Religious Studies, Wesleyan University Mingmei Yip, Visiting Professor of Chinese Music History, Bard College Chen Tao, Professor of Chinese Music, Bard College; Artistic Director, Melody of Dragon, Inc. Zhai Fengjian, Associate Researcher, China National Academy of Fine Arts
 Performance (Streaming) 8-9pm ESTFeaturing ceremonial chanting from Daxiangguo Temple, Kaifang, Henan Province Zhihua Temple, Beijing Mount Wutai Buddhist Monk Ensemble, Shanxi Province Jade Buddha Temple, Shanghai Huafan University, Department of Buddhist Studies, Taipei International Buddhist Progress Society (IBPS), North America (multiple locations) Labrang Monastery, Gansu Autonomous Tibetan Prefecture FRIDAY, APRIL 9ENTERING THE WORLD, THE PATH OF MUSIC

Panel Discussion (Zoom) 5:30-7pm ESTModerated by
Dominique Townsend, Professor of Religious Studies, and Jindong Cai, director of the US-China Music Institute

with
Jamyang Dolma, Founding Director, Academy of Himalayan Art and Child Development
Drukmo Gyal, singer
Ganavya Doraiswamy, singerPerformance (Streaming) 8-9pm ESTModern Tibetan chant, traditional instrumental music, and modern works from composers Tan Dun and Qu Xiaosong. 
 SATURDAY, APRIL 10A BLESSING FROM BHUTANThe final day of the Harmony and Compassion takes us on a virtual journey to the Kingdom of Bhutan, “the happiest country on earth.”Performance (Streaming) 7:30-8:30pm ESTDiscussion and Q&A (Zoom) 8:30-9:30pm EST

Presented by: US-China Music Institute
 

Streamed student recital with guest musicians on guzheng, cello, flute, percussion, and piano.
Online Event  8:30 pm – 9:30 pm EST/GMT-5
Streaming at https://youtu.be/CDJbyMIpTEs

 

3rd Annual China Now Music Festival of the the US-China Music Institute
The US-China Music Institute of the Bard College Conservatory of Music celebrates Beethoven’s 250th anniversary year with eight days of online musical events in our 3rd annual China Now Music Festival, China and Beethoven. 

Celebratory events for “Beethoven 250” have been planned all around the world, and nowhere more so than in China, where Beethoven enjoys great popularity among audiences of all ages. When theaters, concert halls, and orchestras found themselves unexpectedly shuttered for much of the year, many celebrations were put on hold or reimagined. As China begins to reopen, Beethoven once again takes center stage. 

China and Beethoven will provide a window into celebrations happening in China today, as well as exploring Beethoven’s legacy as a heroic figure during the changing politics of the 20th century, along with China’s oscillating affiliation with Western classical music.

All events are FREE online, and open to the public with event registration. To learn more and to register visit barduschinamusic.org/china-and-beethoven.

Festival Event Schedule

December 11, 7:30pm
China’s Sage of Music 
Concert/Lecture
The festival’s opening event traces the story of Beethoven’s ascent into the cultural imagination of China through discussions with music scholars and musical interludes from the US and China. Hosted by Jindong Cai, conductor, professor of Music and Arts at Bard College, and director of the US-China Music Institute. 

December 12, 8pm
Beethoven in China 
Webinar in Chinese (Zoom)
China Institute’s Renwen Society hosts Jindong Cai in a webinar discussion in Chinese of his book Beethoven in China: How the Great Composer Became an Icon in the People’s Republic.

December 13, 7:30pm
Beethoven Made in China
Concert/Lecture
Experience an exciting and imaginative evening of musical interpretations of Beethoven with Chinese accents, presented by world-renowned artists including bass-baritone Shenyang, pipa virtuoso Wu Man, composer/conductor Tan Dun, the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, The Orchestra Now, and musicians of the prestigious Central Conservatory of Music.
Hosted by Shenyang and Jindong Cai. 

December 14, 7:30pm
Beethoven Is Us
Producer’s Expo
Host Jindong Cai and guests will offer a peek into the Chinese market for all things Beethoven, including a musical based on Beethoven’s life, a play describing how his music became known in China, and an “immersive multimedia Beethoven experience” exhibition in Shanghai.   

December 15, 7:30pm
Shanghai Symphony: Night of Beethoven
Concert
Celebrate Beethoven’s birthday with the illustrious Shanghai Symphony, featuring a selection of recent performances of some of Beethoven’s most iconic symphonic and chamber works, specially selected for the China Now Music Festival.

December 16, 7:30pm
Beethoven in Beijing: an American Orchestra’s Journey
Private Film Screening
Get early access to the new documentary Beethoven in Beijing, which follows the Philadelphia Orchestra on their first historic trip to China in 1973 and chronicles the opening of China to Western classical music since the end of the Cultural Revolution. 

December 17, 8pm
Building Bridges through Music: Beethoven in Beijing
Roundtable Discussion (Zoom)
Hosted by Asia Society and moderated by author Sheila Melvin, this discussion with the filmmakers of the documentary Beethoven in Beijing plus special guests will look at the future of culture and diplomacy through classical music.

December 18, 7:30pm
Egmont in China
Orchestra Concert 
The 2020 China Now Music Festival closes with a landmark performance of Beethoven’s complete Egmont, his musical setting of the 1787 play by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, in a new production by the China NCPA Orchestra in Beijing. Featuring narration in Mandarin, the concert was recorded live at the National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing on November 12, 2020.

Featured Artists and Speakers Leon Botstein, president, Bard College Tan Dun, dean, Bard College Conservatory of Music Jindong Cai, artistic director, China Now Music Festival; director, US-China Music Institute Shenyang, bass-baritone Wu Man, pipa The Orchestra Now China NCPA Orchestra Shanghai Symphony Orchestra Shanghai Youth Philharmonic OrchestraAnd more! 

The Philadelphia Orchestra and the Power of Cultural Bridges
Website  7:00 pm – 8:20 pm EDT/GMT-4
Co-presented with China Institute in NYC, this is part two of a two-part series. 

Part Two presents a film preview and discussion of the forthcoming documentary “Beethoven in Beijing.” 

The documentary film “Beethoven in Beijing” by Philadelphia’s History Making Productions follows the Philadelphia Orchestra’s journey in China, from its historic visit in 1973 to its most current engagement, exploring the development of Western classical music in China and the musical relationship between the two countries. A preview of the film will be followed by discussion with co-producer Jennifer Lin, former ambassador to China Nicholas Platt, and conductor Jindong Cai.

This free webinar is open to the public via the China Institute online platform. Click Here for More Information and Event Registration 

How the Great Composer Inspired Generations of Chinese through War, Revolution, and Hardship
Website  7:00 pm – 8:20 pm EDT/GMT-4
Co-presented with China Institute in NYC, this is part one of a two-part series. 

Join Sheila Melvin and Jindong Cai as they discuss their book, Beethoven in China. The two authors will focus on the historical background and the most influential people who were responsible for exploring Beethoven and his music in China, and how Beethoven became a symbol and an inspiration to many Chinese of triumph over great difficulties. 

This free webinar is open to the public via the China Institute online platform. Click Here for More Information and Event Registration 

Presented by the US-China Music Institute
Chapel of the Holy Innocents  7:00 pm – 9:00 pm EST/GMT-5
The 2019–20 US-China Music Fellows at the Bard Conservatory present a concert of music for Chinese instruments erhu, guzheng, ruan, and pipa, with guest performers on Chinese and Western instruments.
 

Presented by the US-China Music Institute of the Bard Conservatory and the Central Conservatory of Music, China.
Rose Theater, Jazz at Lincoln Center, NYC  3:00 pm – 6:00 pm EST/GMT-5
Celebrate Lunar New Year and look forward to Spring with a lively concert of Chinese orchestral works performed by The Orchestra Now, conducted by Jindong Cai and a guest conductor from the Central Conservatory of Music, China. Featuring soloists on traditional Chinese instruments from the Central Conservatory's faculty of world-class musicians.
Bring the whole family and enjoy activities presented by Music at China Institute following the concert. Purchase Tickets

A Chinese New Year Concert with The Orchestra Now
Fisher Center, Sosnoff Theater  7:00 pm – 9:00 pm EST/GMT-5
Celebrate Lunar New Year and look forward to Spring with a lively concert of Chinese orchestral works performed by The Orchestra Now, conducted by Jindong Cai and guest conductor Chen Bing from the Central Conservatory of Music, China. Soloists from the Central Conservatory's world-class faculty in traditional instruments will perform on Chinese percussion, erhu, pipa, and sheng.

FACULTY AND STAFF RECEIVE 20% WITH PROMO CODE FACSTAFF20.

Fisher Center, Sosnoff Theater

Tickets: $20; $5 student tickets available to Bard Undergraduate students through the Passloff Pass.

Concert featuring Chinese traditional instruments including guzheng, pipa, erhu, daruan, and zhongruan.
Bitó Conservatory Building  7:00 pm – 9:00 pm EST/GMT-5

A talk by Dr. Mingmei Yip
László Z. Bitó '60 Conservatory Building, Room 210  1:00 pm – 2:30 pm EST/GMT-5
Confucianism and Daoism, the two seemingly opposite but complementary Chinese philosophies, have molded Chinese music for more than two millennia. This lecture will explain how Confucian and Daoist metaphysics are the essence of Chinese literati music.

China Now Music Festival 2019: China and America—Unity in Music
Bitó Conservatory Building  7:00 pm – 8:30 pm EDT/GMT-4
Susan Chan performs piano music inspired by Chinese musical traditions, including works by Tan Dun, Chen Yi, Zhou Long, Alexander Tcherepnin, Doming Lam, Alexina Louie, and Zhang Zhao. 

China Now Music Festival 2019: China and America—Unity in Music
Jim Ottaway Jr. Film Center  12:00 pm – 1:30 pm EDT/GMT-4
Film preview of the upcoming documentary Counter Point followed by a discussion on the Philadelphia Orchestra’s history-making tour of China in 1973, marking the beginning of an explosion of interest in Western classical music that continues there to this day. With filmmaker Jennifer Lin, US-China Music Institute Director Jindong Cai, and special guests. A receptions follows. 

Chapel of the Holy Innocents  7:00 pm – 8:30 pm EDT/GMT-4
The erhu is a traditional Chinese instrument dating back 2,000 years. Li Cangxiao will be joined by Bard Conservatory faculty members and graduate students performing works by contemporary Chinese composers.

“She has a special keen and accurate grasp for music. Her performance is rich in timbre and full of dramatic presentation.” —Music Weekly

Li Cangxiao is a talented young erhu musician widely recognized in China. She is currently a second-year postgraduate student at the Central Conservatory of Music (CCOM) in Beijing. Li Cangxiao has been awarded the “BoB (Best of the Best) Top-Notch Innovative Talent” by the Ministry of Education of China. As the concertmaster of the Chinese Chamber Orchestra of CCOM, she studies with professor YU Hongmei, vice president of CCOM. In spring 2019, Li Cangxiao was appointed by CCOM as the graduate assistant for erhu teaching at the US-China Music Institute of the Bard College Conservatory of Music for a semester. 

Works for erhu, guzheng, and piano by 20th-century Chinese composers.
Bitó Conservatory Building  7:30 pm – 9:00 pm EDT/GMT-4
空山鸟语                                                                                                                                                       刘天华
Bird Chirping on the Tranquil Mountain                                                                                LIU Tianhua (1895-1932)
LIU Chang, erhu


溟山                                                                                                                                                               王中山
Ming Mountain                                                                                                             WANG Zhongshan (b. 1969)
WANG Yixin, guzheng


良宵                                                                                                                                                              刘天华
A Beautiful Night (The tune for New Year’s Eve)                                                            LIU Tianhua (1895-1932)
LIU Beitong, erhu
LIU Chang, erhu


狮子戏球                                                                                                                                                杨秀明改編
Chaozhou folk song: The Lion Plays With a Ball                                                       arr. YANG Xiuming (b. 1935)
WANG Sibei, guzheng


三门峡畅想曲                                                                                                                                                刘文金
Capriccio of Sanmenxia Dam                                                                                             LIU Wenjin (1937-2013)
LIU Beitong, erhu
Ivy Wu, piano


恋春风                                                                                                                                                              刘乐
Romantic Breeze of Spring                                                                                                            LIU Le (b. 1985)
WANG Yixin, guzheng
Ivy Wu, piano


Intermission 



東北民歌：江河水                                                                                                                                 黄海怀改编
Northeastern folk song: Tears of the River                                                         arr. HUANG Haihuai (1935-1967)
LIU Beitong, erhu


茉莉芬芳                                                                                                                                                       何占豪
Fragrance of Jasmine Blossoms                                                                                         HE Zhanhao (b. 1933)
WANG Sibei, guzheng





长城随想 － 遥望篇                                                                                                                                       刘文金
The Great Wall Capriccio                                                                                                    LIU Wenjin (1937-2013)
Movement IV Looking Into the Distance
LIU Chang, erhu
Chung-Yang (Francis) Huang, piano


化蝶                                                                                                                                                   何占豪，陈刚
王天一，王居野改编
Butterfly Lovers                                                                        HE Zhanhao (b. 1933) and CHEN Gang (b. 1935)
arr.  WANG Tianyi and WANG Juye
WANG Sibei, guzheng
WANG Yixin, guzheng


二泉映月                                                                                                                                                       华彦钧
黄晓飞改编
Moon reflected on Second Spring                                                                                    HUA Yanjun (1893-1950)
                                                                                                                                                 arr. HUANG Xiaofei
LIU Beitong, erhu
LIU Chang, zhonghu
WANG Sibei, guzheng
WANG Yixin, guzheng


 

Pipa virtuoso, Wu Man, performs a recital and offers a public master class.
Bitó Conservatory Building  1:00 pm – 4:00 pm EDT/GMT-4
This recital amd master class follows Wu Man's recent performances of new concerto repertoire for pipa, including works written especially for her appearances with the New York Philharmonic. She and Yo-Yo Ma performed the U.S. premiere of Chinese composer Zhao Lin’s Concerto for Pipa and Cello in March 2019, following their world premiere performances in China earlier in the season.

Bitó Conservatory Building  8:00 pm – 9:30 pm EDT/GMT-4
World-renowned pipa virtuoso Wu Man offers an exciting evening of music combining traditional Chinese instrumentation with world music and Western jazz inflected elements. Performing with her will be Han Mei on zheng. Edward Perez on bass, and Kaoru Watanabe on Japanese flute and drum.

Free and open to the public. This event is being held in conjunction with our conference Tradition and Discovery: Teaching Chinese Music in the West.

Bitó Conservatory Building  The US-China Music Institute of the Bard Conservatory presents a two-day conference on teaching traditional Chinese instruments. The program will include recitals and a master class. For more information and the full schedule visit barduschinamusic.org/events.

Traditional Chinese Instruments
Bitó Conservatory Building  7:30 pm – 9:00 pm EDT/GMT-4
The Bard Youth Chinese Orchestra presents a free concert on traditional Chinese instruments featuring students from China who are participating in the Summer Academy of the US-China Music Institute of the Bard College Conservatory of Music, in partnership with the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. 
 

Chapel of the Holy Innocents  7:30 pm – 8:30 pm EDT/GMT-4
Zhao Jiazhen and Li Lingchen, from the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, will perform works for guquin.

Reservations required at uschinamusic.bard.edu.
Admission is free.

Contemporary Works for Chinese and Western Instruments
Fisher Center, Sosnoff Theater  3:00 pm – 5:00 pm EST/GMT-5
A concert celebrating the groundbreaking partnership between the US-China Music Institute of the Bard College Conservatory of Music and the Central Conservatory of Music (Beijing). The Orchestra Now, conducted by Jindong Cai, and the Central Conservatory Chamber Orchestra conducted by Chen Bing, will perform works by Guo Wenjing, Chen Danbu, Liu Wenjin, Zhou Yanjia, Chen Xinruo, and Tang Jianping, featuring soloists Yu Hongmei (erhu), Zhou Wang (guzheng) and Zhang Qiang (pipa).

$10 suggested donation
 

Presented by the Bard Conservatory's U.S.-China Music Institute, with an introduction by Susan Blake, visiting assistant professor of philosophy at Bard College.
Bitó Conservatory Building  3:00 pm – 5:00 pm EST/GMT-5
Program will include:
Ambush on Ten Sides  十面埋伏
Lofty Mountains and Falling Waters  高山流水
The Moon Over Fortified Pass  關山月
Variations on Yang Guan  陽關三疊
Moonlit River in Spring  春江花月夜
Song of Henan  河南小曲
Melody of the Purple Bamboo  紫竹調
Birds in the Forest  鳥投林

Chapel of the Holy Innocents  4:00 pm – 5:00 pm EST/GMT-5
Guqin artist Zhao Jingyang regularly performs and lectures at institutions in Beijing, greater China, and abroad. He continues and builds on the playing tradition of his teacher and mentor, the world class guqin master, Li Xiangting, who in turn was the protégé of legendary guqin master Guan Pinghu. Jinyang is the founder and head of the Jinghua Guqin Society, located in Beijing, and the principal director for the Central Conservatory of Music’s Pedagogy and Proficiency Certification Center.