[287] Weekend of ‘Dragon Harmony’ awaits audiences in Nashville and Murfreesboro

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Traditional and contemporary Eastern and Western music will come together in concerts in Nashville and Murfreesboro this weekend.

MTSU’s Center for Chinese Music and Culture will present “Dragon Harmony,” two family-friendly concerts featuring the center’s Chinese Ensemble and Intersection, a Nashville-based musical group.

At 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 11, the ensembles will perform at Green Door Gourmet, 7007 River Road Pike in Nashville. Preconcert activities will include a dragon dance, a traditional Chinese performance usually performed during Chinese New Year festivities, and an explanation of various musical instruments.

At 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 12, the ensembles will perform in Suite 1600 of the Andrew Woodfin Miller Sr. Education Center, 503A Bell St. in Murfreesboro. Tea and other refreshments will be served at the Center for Chinese Music and Culture beginning at 12:30 p.m. At 1 p.m., students from local and regional schools will provide musical entertainment prior to the professional ensembles’ concert.

The concert programs will explore the music of China, including works by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Zhou Long, distinguished composer Chen Yi and the world premiere performance of a newly commissioned work by Wu Fei. A composition by Mei Han, director of the Center for Chinese Music and Culture, and Randy Raine-Reusch also will be performed. All composers will be present at the concerts.

Zhou Long and Chen Yi’s appearances are sponsored by MTSU’s Confucius Institute and the MTSU Distinguished Lecture Fund.

The Center for Chinese Music and Culture exhibits Chinese musical instruments, hosts visiting scholars and artists, presents concerts, lectures and workshops and offers outreach programs for schools and community groups in Middle Tennessee.

Intersection is a contemporary nonprofit music ensemble dedicated to challenging the traditional concert experience, exploring music of the 20^th and 21^st centuries, supporting living composers and embracing collaboration, technology and the avant-garde.

Tickets for each concert range from $7.50 to $35 and are available for purchase at www.intersectionmusic.org. For more information, contact Han at 615-898-5718 or mei.han@mtsu.edu or go to http://mtsu.edu/chinesemusic.