Jersey City, N.J. – On September 12 and 13, the North American Chinese Musicians Association presented the Sound of Harvest series at Rutgers University’s Nicholas Music Center and Montclair State University’s Memorial Auditorium. The two concerts attracted a combined audience of roughly 1,150 people from a wide range of cultural backgrounds.
Celebrating Global Musical Heritage
The program framed contemporary music as a meeting place for diverse cultures, allowing distinct traditions to interact, inspire one another, and take new forms that resonate with today’s listeners. Historical repertoire shared the stage with newly commissioned works, while improvisation and collaboration opened fresh possibilities for traditional instruments.
Cellist Matthew Armbruster opened the first half, using humor and accessible commentary to introduce each piece. The opening work, Riffs and Flow by Brown University professor Wang Lu, brought ancient Dunhuang scores into a modern audiovisual setting. Association president Jin Yang performed on a replica Tang‑dynasty pipa inlaid with mother‑of‑pearl, joined by erhu player Yue Yang, guzhengist Jing Xia, and pianist Yifei Xu, who used magnets on the piano strings to create bell‑like overtones. Harvard’s CAMLab supplied visual projections that complemented the music.
Highlights from the Performances
Listeners described the sound as “bells ringing from a faraway temple” and noted how the music seemed to drift “from the Dunhuang murals and the depths of time.” Violinist Zhan Shu of the Cleveland Orchestra performed Sorrow in the Desert from the score Hero, creating a vast, desolate soundscape. The upbeat Fishermen’s Harvest Song offered a bright contrast, evoking the joy of a plentiful catch.
Lutenist Jason Priset, a visiting professor at Montclair State, presented Renaissance and Baroque repertoire on lute and baroque guitar, showcasing the intricate ornamentation of early European music. Emerging composer Tiffany Qianxun Zhao’s Blooming Streets drew inspiration from a Chinese poetic line, unfolding with delicacy and energy that reflected the association’s support for new voices.
Cross‑Cultural Collaboration in the Second Half
Japanese musician Kaoru Watanabe, a member of Yo‑Yo Ma’s Silkroad Ensemble, shifted the energy with taiko drumming that linked movement, rhythm and sound. His piece More Perfect Union featured taiko, shinobue flute, erhu and other instruments in an improvised conversation.
West African rhythms entered the hall when Kwaku Kwaakye Martin Obeng of Berklee College taught audience members two clapping patterns that later accompanied a Christmas song on talking drum, turning the venue into a participatory ensemble.
Mezzo‑soprano Lina Zha performed a jazz‑styled rendition of “Bésame Mucho” and music from *Cinema Paradiso*, accompanied by Armbruster (cello), guitarist Bin Hu, pipa player Jin Yang and bassist Xitong Yao. One audience member admitted, “I never thought I’d fall in love with a mezzo‑soprano voice.”
Audience Response and Community Impact
Attendees reported both discovery and recognition. Some heard instruments they had never seen before; others recognized echoes of their own Spanish musical traditions. One listener said she usually reaches for her phone to learn about unfamiliar works, but during the concert she stayed fully engaged, only realizing the evening was ending as the final piece began.
“I often find it hard to connect with unfamiliar pieces,” one audience member said, “but I enjoyed both concerts so much that I wanted to hear every piece several more times.” A music educator described the evenings as “a blend of storytelling, learning and music.”
For younger listeners, moments of surprise—such as magnets placed on piano strings—sparked curiosity about musical experimentation. By bringing established performers together with emerging composers, the North American Chinese Musicians Association created a vibrant space where traditions could evolve through collaboration, offering listeners a tangible way to connect unfamiliar sounds with their own experiences.
Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.
