🎶 Sound of China Guzheng Ensemble 2026 Annual Concert: Phantom of the Strings
🗓 Sunday, September 27 at 4:00 PM

Phantom of the Strings

A Musical Journey Across Cultures

Sunday, September 27, 2026 at 4:00 PM
Bonita Center for the Arts

The Sound of China Guzheng Ensemble proudly presents its 2026 Annual Concert, Phantom of the Strings, on Sunday, September 27 at the Bonita Center for the Arts.

Built around the theme “A Musical Journey Across Cultures,” this year’s concert explores the remarkable versatility of the guzheng through an unusually diverse program. From Broadway and American folk music to Argentine tango and contemporary Chinese screen music, and from Chinese and Taiwanese traditions to the distinctive rhythmic energy of Korean music, the concert brings together musical languages from across cultures on one stage.

A special highlight of this year’s concert is the participation of the He Cai Guzheng Ensemble from Taiwan, joining the Sound of China Guzheng Ensemble for an afternoon of musical exchange and collaboration.

One of the most striking contrasts of the program comes from the meeting of The Phantom of the Opera and Fantasia on Taiwanese Opera Melodies. On one side is the mysterious, romantic, and theatrical world of a Western musical theater classic; on the other is the expressive vocal style and distinctive character of traditional Taiwanese opera. Reimagined through the strings of the guzheng, these two very different theatrical traditions create one of the concert’s most compelling cross-cultural dialogues.

The program features several works specially arranged by Professor Cynthia Hsiang:

• The Phantom of the Opera
  The iconic musical is reimagined through a dramatic guzheng ensemble arrangement filled with mystery, romance, and theatrical intensity.
• Take Me Home, Country Roads
  The familiar and heartwarming American melody takes on a new character through the guzheng’s clear, resonant, and expressive sound.
• Blossoms
  A medley of beloved songs featured in the acclaimed Chinese television drama Blossoms Shanghai, weaving together memories of love, reunion, nostalgia, and farewell.

Other program highlights include the evocative Dream of the Red Chamber Suite, the driving rhythms and dramatic energy of The Walker, and Libertango, featuring guzheng duet and piano in a vibrant meeting of Eastern strings and passionate Argentine tango.

The He Cai Guzheng Ensemble will present two works rich in Taiwanese musical character: the beloved folk melody Longing for the Spring Breeze and Fantasia on Taiwanese Opera Melodies, bringing the sounds of Taiwan’s folk and theatrical traditions to the Los Angeles stage.

Later in the program, the Sound of China Guzheng Ensemble will perform Chulkang, a dynamic Korean composition featuring bold rhythms, layered ensemble textures, and powerful rhythmic energy.

From Broadway to Taiwanese opera, from American folk music and Argentine tango to Chinese screen music and East Asian musical traditions, Phantom of the Strings is more than a guzheng concert—it is a cultural dialogue expressed through twenty-one strings.

The Sound of China Guzheng Ensemble warmly invites audiences to join us for an afternoon celebrating the timeless beauty, dramatic power, and limitless possibilities of the guzheng.

📅 Sunday, September 27, 2026 at 4:00 PM
📍 Bonita Center for the Arts
822 W Covina Blvd, San Dimas, CA 91773

🎟 General Admission: $25 | VIP: $50
☎️ 626-330-4890
✉️ info@chinesezither.net

Presented by: Sound of China Guzheng Ensemble

You may purchase the tickets from the Bontita Center for the Arts:

https://bonitacenterforthearts.ludus.com/select.php?time_id=373744