Chinese, US artists stage joint performance in New York

NEW YORK, July 21 (Xinhua) -- A group of artists from China and the United States on Wednesday staged a joint performance at the Lincoln Center here, garnering rounds of applause from the audience.

The concert's program included an Image China Suite at the beginning followed by an Er Huang Piano Concerto, Appalachian Spring Suite and a violin concerto. Traditional Chinese musical instruments like the Chinese lute and the vertical flute were also used alongside the symphony orchestra, resulting in a modern East-meets-West sonic experience.

The performance is an opportunity for the audience to reinforce exchanges and mutual understanding in history and culture between the East and the West, said Chinese-American Maestra Xian Zhang, conductor of the two-hour performance which attracted nearly 1,000 people.

Like Ping-Pong Diplomacy, music exchanges between the United States and China have played a key role in promoting mutual understanding between peoples from the two countries, said Chinese Consul General in New York Huang Ping in a welcome message for the performance.

"Music has the unique power to bridge people from different countries, races and cultural backgrounds. I believe tonight's performance will touch our hearts and bring us closer for a better future," Huang added.

Produced by China Arts and Entertainment Group (CAEG), this performance is a part of CAEG's Image China cultural exchange initiative, which introduces traditional and contemporary Chinese performing arts to audiences around the world.