Media Relations

The renowned Carleton College Chinese Music and World Music Ensembles will celebrate the release of a new CD recording with a special concert on Sunday, May 15 at 3 p.m. in the Concert Hall. Entitled “Music from China and Beyond,” the release includes live performances by the revered musical ensembles, all recorded live in the last three years. The program will feature the Chinese Music Ensemble, the World Music Ensemble and the Korean Drum Ensemble, as well as two dance performances—a Sword Dance by PEAR instructor Raymond Hayward and a Fan Dance by student Yifan Zhong ’19 (China). This event is free and open to the public. Copies of “Music from China and Beyond” will also be available for purchase at the concert. Under the direction of Gao Hong, “Music from China and Beyond” includes selections representing the diverse repertoire of the Chinese Music Ensemble, including a variety of styles, genre, instrumentation from different regions from China and around the world. Featured instruments include Chinese bamboo flutes, Chinese fiddles, Chinese Pipa, Zhongruan, Guzheng, plucked string lutes and Zithers, and percussion. The instrumentation also includes Oud, piano, clarinet, violin, cello, guitar, and other western instruments. In addition to traditional music and contemporary compositions from China, the CD features Japanese, Ukrainian, Romani, Jewish, and Arabic folk tunes. Carleton student performers at the May 15 concert include: Chinese Music Ensemble: Emma Hughes ’16 (Laguna Beach, Calif.), Yang Chen ’17 (Denton, Texas) and Huahua Zhong ’19 (China) on Erhu; Kai Huang ’16 (China), Douglas Totten ’16 (Hanover, Ind.), Ming Zi ’16 (China), Lydia Ding ’17 (Rochester, Mich.), and Yue Jin ’18 (China) on the Pipa; Yue Wu ’19 (China) on the Zhongruan; Gege Zhang ’19 (China) on the Guqin; Yanhan Lyu ’19 (China) on the Dizi; Mina Lor ’18 (Saint Paul, Minn.) on the Bawu/Hulusi; Kitty Miao ’19 (China) on the Xiao; Emily Pollard ’16 (Kirksville, Mo.), Qiyuan Hu ’17 (China), Heqing Huang ’17 (China), Shatian Wang ’17 (China), Vicky Wu ’17 (Northfield), and Yijun Wang ’18 (China) on the Guzheng; Camille Braun ’16 (Cape Elizabeth, Maine), Michelle Marinello ‘6 (Wilmette, Ill.) and Jin Lee ’18 (Republic of Korea) on violin; Emma Grisanzio ’17 (Carol Stream, Ill.) on cello; and Emily Pollard ’16, Yue Jin ’18, and Agnes Tse ’16 (Hong Kong) on voice. World Music Ensemble: Camille Braun ’16, Katie Koza ’16 (Fitchburg, Wis.), Brent Murcia ’16 (Arlington, Va.), Anne Foxen ’17 (Garden City, N.Y.), and Jin Lee ’18 on violin; Douglas Totten ’16 on guitar; Emma Grisanzio ’17 on cello; Emily Pollard ’16 and Agnes Tse ’16 on voice; Thomas Bertschinger ’16 (Medford, Mass.) on piano; and Vicky Wu ’17 on Guzheng. Guest performers also include Alida Dice (Pipa), Beverley Xie (Pipa), Raymond Hayward (dancer), and Matthew Neil (bass). Ensemble director Gao Hong is a renowned Chinese pipa player and composer, who graduated from the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing where she studied with pipa master Lin Shicheng. She has received numerous awards and honors at home and abroad. In 2005 Gao Hong became the first traditional musician to be awarded the prestigious Bush Artist Fellowship, and in 2012 she became the only musician in any genre to win four McKnight Artist Fellowships for Performing Musicians. She has received numerous commissions and has performed countless U.S. and world premieres of pipa concerti with organizations such as the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Heidelberg Philharmonic, Buenos Aires Philharmonic, and many others. She is also guest professor at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. More about Gao Hong can be found online at www.chinesepipa.com. This event is sponsored by the Carleton College Department of Music. For more information, including disability accommodations, call (507) 222-4347. The Concert Hall is located on First Street, between Nevada and Winona Streets, in Northfield.