Cast of “Chinese Classical Literary Song” at the Marjorie Deane Theater

A concert for Chinese classical literary songs and its global release was being held from August 11 to 13 on Broadway and at the United Nations headquarters in New York.

The Chinese classical literary songs are a series of album featuring Guoxue, namely, the study of ancient Chinese civilization. The album combines elements of Peking Opera, Yueju Opera, Huangmei Opera and Chinese folk songs in the east, with those of rock and roll, jazz and reggae in the west and has been released in over 180 countries around the world.

You Jingbo, the composer of this album who is living in the U.S., also the Art Director of America’s National Music Center and a professor from Beijing Contemporary Music Academy, composed and recorded these songs after years of hard work.

On the afternoon of August 11, the special concert entitled “Chinese Classical Literary Songs on Broadway” was staged at the Marjorie Deane Theater. Honoured guests present included You Jiang, Publisher of the US-based China Press, Prof. Ellen Oppenheim from Columbia University, and Mini Stwart, a renowned musical professor from Broadway.

On the afternoon of August 13, a press conference was held for the global release of Chinese classical literary songs at the UN Headquarters Conference Hall. News outlets like the UN Branch of Xinhua News Agency, Wen Hui Bao Newspaper UN Correspondent Station, the US-based China Press, American Multimedia Television USA covered this conference. The United Nations Correspondents Association accepted a presentation copy and collected a full set of books and recordings for the Chinese classical literary songs.

The event is part of cultural activities to celebrate the “International Youth Day” that falls on August 12 and to respond to the UN’s resolution “Culture for Peace”. With a view to making the Chinese Guoxue known to the world by means of music, the event also helps the Chinese youths play a due role in promoting world peace through cultural exchanges.

From August 7 to 10, a choir of Chinese and American Chinese led by You Jingbo, toured American cultural attractions such as the Congress, Liberty Island and Columbia University respectively to perform Chinese classical literary songs to spread Chinese Guoxue music to the mass public.

On August 11, students from China and young American Chinese performed a joint show combining singing, martial arts and Tai Chi at the Broadway concert to present the essence of Chinese Guoxue to foreigners.

During the event, Professor You Jingbo released for the first time the logo of the “Chinese Classical Literary Songs” which is rich in Chinese cultural image. Meanwhile, he also released the new album with 10 classic Chinese poems such as Love for A Fair Maiden, On Poetry, The Song of Mulan and The Official in the Shihao Village. The album is a masterpiece of Chinese classical literary songs jointly created by the Sino-US musicians.

“We are striving to revive the cultural heritage of singing ancient Chinese poems, and make Chinese Guoxue music heard by the world,” said You at the press conference.

The event was sponsored by the World Harmony Foundation, hosted by America’s National Music Center as well as co-organized by US Sitan Taichi and Martial Arts Center and Cross-Straits Guoxue Center and Taiji Academy of Pingtan, Southeast China’s Fujian Province.

Participants at the UN press conference