Concert featuring Chinese classical music staged in New York

NEW YORK, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- An in-person chamber concert celebrating traditional and modern Chinese classical music was held at the Lincoln Center here on Sunday evening with nearly 1,000 attendees.

Themed "China Inspirations," the concert had programs derived from Chinese folk songs, classic literature and other Chinese elements.

Notably, the concert was performed by independent pipa player and composer Wu Man, as well as artists from the Chamber Music Society of the Lincoln Center.

Although the pandemic has suspended people-to-people exchanges between China and the United States over the past two years, it has not broken connections between the two peoples and their desire for art and a better life, said China's Consul General in New York Huang Ping.

"Music brings people together across cultures and enhances mutual understanding ... (I) hope that, with joint efforts, our two countries may seek common ground while reserving differences and work together to address various challenges faced by mankind," said Huang in a message for the event.

The concert is the second leg of this year's "Image China," a cultural exchange initiative presented by the China Arts and Entertainment Group, which aims to introduce traditional and contemporary Chinese performing arts to audiences around the world.

The first concert "East/West: A Symphonic Celebration" was held on Nov. 13 at the Lincoln Center.

The collaboration between the Chamber Music Society of the Lincoln Center and China Arts and Entertainment Group contribute to the development of modern Chinese music, said Ye Xiaogang, a composer and president of the Chinese Musicians' Association, on Sunday.

Since 2012, "Image China" has presented a series of Chinese dance dramas at the Lincoln Center, including "The Peony Pavilion," "Silk Road," "The Red Dress," "The Legend of Mulan," "Dragon Boat Racing," "Confucius," "Soaring Wings," and "Princess Zhaojun," among others.