Hill students and faculty were joined in the Center For The Arts on Monday evening (January 23, 2012) by guests from the Pottstown area schools and community for a concert that showcased music by the quartet called Music From China.  The audience was treated to music that evoked sounds ranging from a raging typhoon to a jungle filled with birds, from a parade of horses to a New Year's celebration. View more photos from this event here.

The educational program featured an introduction to each selection of music by one of the performers, who shared a brief history and explanation of the stringed instruments  as well as background on the regions of China represented by the various works.

The concert opened with a duet of a Chinese piece performed by Hill's Erica Yu, a third form student from China, who was accompanied on piano by Sith Domrongkitchaiporn, a sixth former from Thailand.

Assisting the musicians from Music From China in a later piece meant to capture the festive mood of the Chinese New Year celebration was Jamie Powell, a fourth form student from Collegeville, Pa., and, on the bells, Carson Stephens, a fifth form student from Lakewood, WA.

In the closing number, Rob Sutherland, a sixth form student from Denton, TX, joined two local school children to provide percussion "back up."

Following the concert, presented as part of Hill's Confucius Classroom program, guests enjoyed a variety of Chinese foods from egg rolls and rice to sweet desserts, all served at a reception in the Boyer Gallery.

 

The  Chinese instruments used in the concert included the erhu, pipa, zheng, and yangqin. Music from China, established in 1984, performs Chinese classical and folk masterpieces as well as new music by living composers. The ensemble’s numerous appearances include the Library of Congress, the Eastman School of Music, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the BBC in England. A proponent of new music, Music From China produces an annual Premiere Works concert series featuring commissioned and new works by celebrated composers Chen Yi, Zhou Long, Dorothy Chang, Vivian Fung, Bun-Ching Lam, James Mobberley, Yu-hui Chang, Derek Bermel, and numerous emerging composers. It is recipient of a Chamber Music America/ASCAP Commendation for Adventurous Programming.