BE/WE photo by Fadi Kheir. Festival graphics by Saboteur Studios, UK.
China Now Music Festival: Chasing Dreams at Asia Society
US-China Music Forum: Chasing Dreams
Saturday, October 3, 2026
Asia Society 725 Park Ave. New York City, NY 10021 United States
4:30 pm – 6:00 pm
4:30 pm – 6:00 pm
Join us for a special afternoon of conversation and song with composer Huang Ruo, librettist Su Wei, and conductor Jindong Cai, moderated by Asia Society's Rachel Cooper. A vibrant discussion on how music captures the emotion and power of history is accompanied by song--sopranos Lucy Fitz Gibbon and Karen Vuong will sing arias from two major operatic works foregrounding Chinese American stories, with Xinri Zhang on keyboard. Stay back to meet the artists during the lively wine reception that follows!
The US-China Music Forum: Chasing Dreams commemorates the 250th anniversary of the United States, highlighting THE RIFT and Men of Iron and the Golden Spike, two major musical works that focus on the sacrifices and contributions of Chinese Americans. This is part of the China Now Music Festival, created to deepen understanding of Chinese culture through orchestral, operatic, and chamber music performances.
The theme, "Chasing Dreams," reminds us that the pursuit of dreams is a shared human experience that connects us all.
The festival is centered on two major musical works that focus on the sacrifices and contributions of Chinese Americans. The opening concert, on October 2 at Carnegie Hall's Zankel Hall, features THE RIFT, a chamber opera in one act by Chinese American composer Huang Ruo and playwright David Henry Hwang. The work tells the compelling story behind Maya Lin's iconic Vietnam Veterans Memorial and explores themes of identity and reconciliation. The festival concludes on October 11 at the Rose Theater, Jazz at Lincoln Center, with Zhou Long's Men of Iron and the Golden Spike. This large scale symphonic oratorio honors the thousands of Chinese laborers who built the Transcontinental Railroad in the 1860s. The performance will feature an 80-piece orchestra, a 120-voice chorus, and six vocal soloists.
The festival is co-presented by the US-China Music Institute of the Bard College Conservatory of Music and the Central Conservatory of Music, China. Follow this link for tickets to the US-China Music Forum at Asia Society: https://asiasociety.org/new-york/events/chasing-dreams-us-china-music-forum
For more information, call 845-758-7026, e-mail [email protected],
or visit https://www.barduschinamusic.org/chasing-dreams.
Time: 4:30 pm – 6:00 pm
Location: Asia Society 725 Park Ave. New York City, NY 10021 United States
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