THE BARD EAST WEST ENSEMBLE - TO CHINA AND BACK

Sunday, October 5, 2025
3:00 PM 5:00 PM 15:00 17:00

Rose Theater Jazz at Lincoln Center New York, NY United States (map)

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SEASON EIGHT

The 2025 China Now Music Festival concludes with a dynamic 3-part program of contemporary music from China, featuring dance, chamber opera, and Chinese percussion. The Bard East/West Ensemble performs with Jindong Cai conducting.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

Featured

composer

Ma Hanrui

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M. Butterfly, a chamber opera

M. Butterfly is a chamber opera that premiered in the summer of 2023, featuring a libretto by Pan Geng and music by Ma Hanrui, inspired by David Henry Hwang’s acclaimed play M. Butterfly. This production weaves together three vocal roles—a tenor, a baritone, and a male dan from Peking Opera—supported by the Bard East/West Ensemble’s unique fusion of Chinese and Western instruments. The opera tells the tragic story of a French diplomat entangled in his own "Madame Butterfly" fantasy, with a twist. Elegant and unsettling, M. Butterfly explores themes of identity, deception, and the devastating power of cultural myth.

composer

Wang Danhong

composer

Four Seasons in Lingering Garden《四季留园》 for mixed ensemble and dancers

Wang Danhong’s Four Seasons in Lingering Garden is a vivid orchestral suite inspired by the classical Chinese garden in Suzhou. In Wang’s new arrangement exclusively for the Bard East/West Ensemble, she captures the shifting moods of each season through the interplay of traditional Chinese instruments alongside a Western string quintet. The music evokes the elegance and tranquility of the Lingering Garden, blending lyrical melodies with intricate textures. Choreographer Dai Jian imbues the piece with the graceful movement of two dancers joining the ensemble on stage.

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FULL PROGRAM DETAILS AND TICKETING INFORMATION COMING SOON

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The 2025 China Now Music Festival is presented in collaboration with the Central Conservatory of Music, China.