NEW YORK, Oct. 2 (Xinhua) -- The ninth China Now Music Festival kicked off Friday night at Carnegie Hall in New York City, bringing together musical works that evoke the shared memories, aspirations and enduring bonds of the American and Chinese peoples.
The festival, running from Oct. 2-11 under the theme "Chasing Dreams," is co-hosted by the U.S.-China Music Institute of Bard College Conservatory of Music and the Central Conservatory of Music of China (CCOM).
Through a series of concerts and a music forum, the event paid tribute to the contributions and sacrifices of early Chinese American pioneers while exploring the ambition and struggles of younger generations.
The opening concert featured The Rift, an opera by Chinese composer Huang Ruo and Tony Award-winning librettist David Henry Hwang.
The work tells the story of Chinese American architect Maya Lin (or Lin Ying), who realized her bold artistic vision with determination, and the creation of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., which became one of the most recognizable memorials in the United States.