A trio of Chinese musicians will perform traditional music from their homeland during a series of upcoming performances at ONU as well as area schools and the local library. The Chinese musicians will present a concert at 4 p.m. on Feb. 19 in Presser Hall at ONU. The performance is free and open to the public.
They also will perform with the ONU Symphony at 3 p.m. on Feb. 26 in the Freed Center. Tickets may be purchased by contacting the Freed Center box office.
They also will perform at 11 a.m. on Feb. 18 at the Ada Public Library. That performance is free and open to the public.
While in the area, the musicians will perform in the following schools: Kenton Middle/High School, Shawnee Elmwood Primary School, Leipsic School, Lima Arts Magnet, Bluffton Elementary School, and Riverdale High School. These events are not open to the public.
The musicians include:
Yunhe Wang, a recent graduate of Minzu University in Beijing. She plays the sheng, which is similar to a harmonica, and the dizi, a type of flute
Shengyang Tong, the father of Chang Tong, a December 2016 graduate of ONU and Waters’ former student. He is involved with the National Academy of Chinese Theater Arts, National Orchestra of the China National Opera and the Dance Drama Theater. He plays the erhu, a two-stringed instrument, and several percussion instruments.
Yang Wei, an artist in resident at the Art Institute of Chicago. He plays the pipa, a stringed instrument.
The trip was arranged by ONU Associate Professor of Music Sarah Waters, who obtained a grant from the Ohio Arts Council to support the musicians’ travels.
“I have always been interested in ethnic percussion, and I have been to China three times, so this seems like a natural step to take,” said Waters, who teaches percussion at ONU. “In many ways, music reflects a culture. For example, traditional Chinese music reminds me of the cadence of the spoken Chinese language."
