The US-China Music Forum: Chasing Dreams commemorates the 250th anniversary of the United States; it highlights two major musical works that focus on the sacrifices and contributions of Chinese Americans, featuring a panel discussion and live operatic excerpts. Join Huang Ruo, Su Wei and Jindong Cai in a vibrant discussion on how music captures the emotion and power of history, what the “American Dream” means to them, and how they envision music and performance illuminating stories that have been neglected. The discussion will be followed with a Q&A and a reception. This is part of the China Now Music Festival, created to deepen understanding of Chinese culture through orchestral, operatic, and chamber music performances. The theme, Chasing Dreams, reminds us that the pursuit of dreams is a shared human experience that connects us all.

The Festival is centered on two major musical works that focus on the sacrifices and contributions of Chinese Americans. The opening concert, on October 2 at Carnegie Hall’s Zankel Hall, features “The Rift”, a chamber opera by Chinese American composer Huang Ruo and playwright David Henry Hwang. The work tells the compelling story behind Maya Lin’s iconic Vietnam Veterans Memorial and explores themes of identity and reconciliation. The festival concludes on October 11 at the Rose Theater, Jazz at Lincoln Center, with Zhou Long‘s “Men of Iron and the Golden Spike”. This large scale symphonic oratorio honors the thousands of Chinese laborers who built the Transcontinental Railroad in the 1860s. The performance will feature an 80-piece orchestra, a 120-voice chorus, and six vocal soloists.