Asia Society Presents! Common Practice 21C: Classical, Contemporary, and Cross-Cultural Music

Asia Society presents Common Practice 21C, a three-day festival hosted by Rice University. It explores the cross-fertilization of cultures by navigating international selections of classical and new music by composers from the United States and China, as well as Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Korea.

The Common Practice era — roughly 1600 to 1900 — was defined by its adherence to customary harmonic and melodic practices in Western music. Similarly, older Chinese music remained grounded in its own traditional perspective and performance practice. Until recently, these two musical cultures had little crossover.

Common Practice 21C is a three-day festival hosted by Rice University. It explores the cross-fertilization of cultures by navigating international selections of classical and new music by composers from the United States and China, as well as Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Korea. Experimentation will blend traditional forms with electronic and mixed media to create a 21st-century musical culture.

The program includes classical and world premiere music by Michael Sidney Timpson, Ching-Wen Chao, Lei Liang, and others. Musicians include the Little Giant Chinese Chamber Orchestra (Taiwan), guzheng soloist Jiuan-Reng Yeh, and pipa musician Chia-Ning Liang. This concert at Asia Society closes the Common Practice 21C festival.