Now in its fifth year, The Sound of Spring is an authentic Chinese New Year concert featuring dramatic orchestral works and world-class Chinese instrument soloists. This year’s program presents a new selection of festive Chinese music to welcome the Lunar New Year, with solo performances by erhu virtuoso Zhang Haiyue and dizi virtuoso Feng Tianshi from the Central Conservatory of Music in China.  

Famed winds master Guo Yazhi performs a world-premiere suona concerto by composer Xinyan Li. 

Maestro Jindong Cai, Director of the US-China Music Institute, has created a program that asks the audience to consider how music affects us when it is familiar, such as a folk song heard since childhood, compared to how we hear new music or ancient music from the traditions of faraway lands. The program features works by contemporary Chinese composers that draw inspiration from the musical traditions of several distinct regions, forming a tapestry of different styles and sounds.

Arrive early to enjoy a live pre-concert Chinese instrument demonstration starting at 2pm in the 5th-floor lobby of Rose Theater.