A Chinese musician plays "A Grand Victory" during the 7th annual "The Sound of Spring" Chinese New Year Concert in New York, the United States, Feb. 15, 2026. (Xinhua/Zhang Fengguo)
NEW YORK, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- Musicians from Bard College Conservatory of Music's U.S.-China Music Institute and China's Central Conservatory of Music on Sunday ushered in the Chinese New Year, the Year of the Horse, with multiple pieces featuring horses.
Around 1,000 people attended the 7th annual "The Sound of Spring" Chinese New Year Concert in the Rose Theater at Jazz at Lincoln Center in celebration of the Chinese Lunar New Year, which starts on Feb. 17.
The show blended Chinese and Western classics and the two-hour concert was filled with warmth, virtuosity, and a festive spirit.
Cai Jindong, conductor of the concert, told Xinhua that he attached priority to developing a program with the Year of the Horse as the theme by exploring pieces from different cultures.
It's very meaningful to present Chinese culture through music in New York, said Cai, who is director of the U.S.-China Music Institute.
The concert opened with Li Huanzhi's jubilant Spring Festival Overture and the pipa, a traditional Chinese instrument, was featured in Wang Danhong's Cloud and Blossom concerto for pipa and orchestra, a poetic and romantic ode to love. Young soloists from the Central Conservatory of Music then demonstrated their virtuosity in French horn and violin.
The second half evoked the grandeur and dynamism of "ten thousand horses galloping," with bold, exuberant orchestral works that heightened the festive atmosphere and conveyed auspicious New Year wishes.
Included were Ride of the Valkyries by Richard Wagner, A Grand Victory, adapted from north China's Shanxi folk music for winds and percussion, Light Cavalry Overture by Franz von Suppe and Capriccio Xu Beihong by Huang Anlun.
Suona virtuoso Guo Yazhi and his protege Hiu Man Andrew Chan won rounds of applause from the audience while they mimicked horses in A Grand Victory.
Music from the West and East is linked and music could help people from the United States and China understand each other better, said Cai.
"I thought the program was done very well with a good balance between East and West," said Bruce Kennedy, a local resident who attended the concert with his wife.
Kennedy told Xinhua he liked the performance, which featured attributes of horses as his wife was born in the Year of the Horse. He added that the suona players' performance was "terrific, very joyful and fun."
The concert is a "good meeting of cultures," said Kennedy.
Moreover, the American Bilingual Choir Hello, Mandarin!, an arts-based Mandarin immersion program for early childhood learners in Manhattan, enriched the vibe of the celebration with a drop-in presentation of Chinese songs for the Lunar New Year.
"Teaching Chinese Mandarin through music and arts is the best way for our young kids," said Lyu Jiaoyue, director of the choir.
"We wanted to use the language as a bridge and to bring the Chinese kids and American kids together and to celebrate our culture and also our friendship," Lyu told Xinhua.
It's hoped that if American children learn the Chinese language, they can explore China and understand China better, said Lyu. ■
The orchestra plays the "Spring Festival Overture" during the 7th annual "The Sound of Spring" Chinese New Year Concert in New York, the United States, Feb. 15, 2026. (Xinhua/Zhang Fengguo)
The 7th annual "The Sound of Spring" Chinese New Year Concert is staged in New York, the United States, Feb. 15, 2026. (Xinhua/Zhang Fengguo)
A girl learns about pipa, a traditional Chinese instrument, before the 7th annual "The Sound of Spring" Chinese New Year Concert in New York, the United States, Feb. 15, 2026. (Xinhua/Zhang Fengguo)
Musicians play the "Cloud and Blossom" during the 7th annual "The Sound of Spring" Chinese New Year Concert in New York, the United States, Feb. 15, 2026. (Xinhua/Zhang Fengguo)
Members of the American Bilingual Choir Hello, Mandarin! perform during the 7th annual "The Sound of Spring" Chinese New Year Concert in New York, the United States, Feb. 15, 2026. (Xinhua/Zhang Fengguo)
The 7th annual "The Sound of Spring" Chinese New Year Concert is staged in New York, the United States, Feb. 15, 2026. (Xinhua/Zhang Fengguo)
A girl tries a musical instrument before the 7th annual "The Sound of Spring" Chinese New Year Concert in New York, the United States, Feb. 15, 2026. (Xinhua/Zhang Fengguo)