Date: Wednesday, October 28
Time: 7:00 PM
Location: Roosevelt University’s Ganz Hall (430 S. Michigan Ave, 7th Floor)
Cost: Free
In a collaboration with Roosevelt University’s Chicago College for the Performing Arts, the Chinese Fine Arts Society will premiere its next concert series with the first installment – “Silk” – scheduled for October 28 at Roosevelt University’s Ganz Hall. In an East-meets-West show, the concert will feature instrumentalists from both Roosevelt and the Shenyang Conservatory of Music, who will perform the evening’s repertoire on traditional Chinese stringed instruments (i.e. the erhu, pipa and guzheng). The Shenyang Conservatory is one of the few cultural institutes in China aiming to revive the Kong Hou. This harp-like instrument has two sets of strings that run alongside each other, creating a unique, resonant sound that allows the instrumentalist to play the melody and the accompanist music simultaneously.
“Silk” is the first concert in a 2-year concert series titled “Eight Tones: An Exploration.” In traditional Chinese music, Eight Tones is an ancient classification system of traditional Chinese instruments, In Chinese music, the single tone is of greater significance than the melody. The tone is attributed to the substance that produces it, hence music instrments are categorized into eight tones classes by construction material: silk, bamboo, wood, stone, metal, clay, gourd or hide.
Making a rare appearance in the United States, the Shenyang Conservatory will bring a Kong Hou, an ancient instrument that dates back to the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220 AD) and was believed to have disappeared around the Mind Dynasty (1368-1644 AD). This harp-like instrument has two sets of strings that make a unique, resonant sound and allows the instrumentalist to play the melody and the accompanist piece simultaneously.