On May 21st, at the Symphony Space in Manhattan, a large-scale classical Asian heritage music concert will be held. The Chinese Music Ensemble of New York (CMENY) specially invited 38 Chinese traditional instrument musicians from Hsinchu, Taiwan to collaborate and deliver a grand scale Asian heritage music performance to the New York audience.  

Founded in 1961, the Chinese Music Ensemble of New York (CMENY), is a 5013 non-profit organization focusing on sharing the beauty of Asian heritage music with our New York metropolitan communities. The mission of CMENY is to preserve and to continue the unique cultural inheritance from the China proper, provide and collaborate music as well as art activities with our local communities. Coming from Taiwan, the Hsinchu City Youth Chinese Orchestra (HCYCO) has been devoting itself to the promotion of Chinese heritage music since founded in 2011 and has been making every effort to go international. 、

HCYCO not only has high-level performance skills and rich performance experience, but the orchestra is also known as "the most dynamic and powerful Chinese orchestra" in Taiwan because of its harmonious sound and excellent teamwork. Since 2011, it has planned and launched the annual "Hsinchu Chinese Music Festival'', which is now one of the most important Chinese music exchange platforms among the global Chinese music communities.

   Please click on the picture to watch the video

This concert, in terms of musical richness and performing cast, will surely be unprecedented! A total of 76 musicians will be collaborating and performing on stage for the May 21st Concert at Symphony Space, the Peter Jay Sharp Theater. The repertoire of the performance will cover the north and south of the Yangtze River, across the long historical range, and including classical and innovative tunes. Among them, there are beloved musical classics such as "Nocturnal Peace" and "Dance of the Yao People"; strong regional style music such as the "Northeast Wind" and "Taiwan Reminiscence", and a large-scale nontemporal composition "Impression of Chinese Music – Grand Music". Among the repertoire, there are three very highly technical concertos, including the unique double flute concerto, the rare Zhongruan concerto, and the unusual double Suona concerto, which will be premiering in the United States! The double Suona piece, Portrait of the Hakka Music, has a very distinctive Hakka flavor.  The many varieties of Suona sounds are magnificent, and the melody heart-wrenching. 

The two solo Suona performers are totally in a class by themselves.   CMENY has been consistently engaging in producing two large-scale seasonal concerts every year, one in early summer and one in wintertime. In between the two annual concerts, CMENY also actively participates in community level performing ventures and performs in venues such as the museums, libraries, schools, and community gathering facilities. Over the past 60 years,

CMENY has evolved into the only large-scale Chinese traditional music orchestra in the United States with the continuous efforts and support of several veteran leaders, CMENY Board members and many music fans in the tri-state areas. Last year, the New York Chinese National Orchestra launched a grand concert to celebrate its 60th anniversary. Last year's 60th anniversary concert, with the joint efforts of all members, undoubtedly created a peak for the New York Chinese National Orchestra. However, after the highlight moment, what the New York Chinese National Orchestra wants to bring to our audience is a vision of continuously striving for the next higher level. After 60 years, the next thing is not 'old age', but a continuous insistence on good music, and an undiminished enthusiasm for classical and innovative repertoire. Therefore, the theme of the May 21st concert this year is, In the Prime of Time, to celebrate all the joys in life that are worth cherishing, and hope that good Asian heritage music will continue to thrive. For the 5.21 Concert, CMENY engages a daring collaboration with a young and outstanding orchestra from Hsinchu, Taiwan. 

This is the first voyage that the musicians from Hsinchu Taiwan will be presenting their music to the audiences in the Northeastern region of the United States. The collaboration between the two orchestras will no doubt present a grand and sophisticated level of instrumental compositions, with the overall sound effects be bounteous and elegant. CMENY sincerely welcomes all lovers of traditional music to come and enjoy our May 21st Concert, at Symphony Space, New York, NY. The following is additional detailed information about the concert venue and location: 

Details on the 5/21/2023 Concert: Concert Date: 

May 21, 2023 Concert Time: 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Venue:  The Symphony Space | Peter Jay Sharp Theater              

 2537 Broadway & 95th Street, New York, NY 10025

Admission: Ticket Price: $15, $25, $45

Box Office:   Box Office Phone Number:  212.864.5400