9th China Now Music Festival Held in New York: Carnegie Hall Opening Blends Chinese and Western Instruments for America's 250th
The ninth annual China Now Music Festival ran from October 2 to 11, 2026, in New York. According to Bard College and wisevoter, this year's festival, themed "Chasing Dreams," celebrated the 250th anniversary of the United States, telling stories of shared dreams, resilience and creativity through music.
The festival opened at Zankel Hall, Carnegie Hall, with "The Rift," a one-act opera by composer Huang Ruo and Tony Award-winning playwright David Henry Hwang, dramatizing the contentious story behind architect Maya Lin's Vietnam Veterans Memorial. The Bard East/West Ensemble, which pairs a Western string quintet with seven Chinese instruments including pipa, guzheng, ruan, dizi, sheng, suona and erhu, performed works by contemporary composers.
Presented by the US-China Music Institute at Bard College Conservatory of Music in collaboration with the Central Conservatory of Music, China, the festival also staged events at Jazz at Lincoln Center, Bard College, Tempo Performing Arts Center and Asia Society. Artistic director Jindong Cai said the festival aims to remind audiences that "our histories and aspirations are deeply intertwined."
The closing concerts took place on October 10-11 at Bard College and Lincoln Center.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 卡内基音乐厅夜景，StrangeTraveler 摄，CC BY-SA 4.0（Wikimedia Commons）
