The fifth season of the Arcadia Public Library’s A Classical Kaleidoscope begins at 7:15 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 21 in Cay Mortenson Auditorium at the library when Zhiming Han and Cynthia Hsiang return for their second appearance at this series with the music of both contemporary and ancient China.
Cynthia Hsiang, an adjunct professor of Asian Music and director of the Chinese Music Ensemble at Pasadena City College, she began her professional career as a gu-zheng (Chinese zither) soloist and composer with the Taiwan National Chinese Orchestra and is considered an authority on the gu-zheng and the yangqin (butterfly harp). Ms. Hsiang graduated from
Taiwan Normal University, and has received her Master degree and Ph.D from UCLA. She has assisted motion picture studios collaborating with such prominent film composers as Maurice Jarre and James Horner.
Han is considered the leading authority and virtuosos on the dizi, a bamboo flute and is an award winning zheng player. In addition to his many CDs and film work as both performer and collaborator-composer with such luminaries as John Williams, Han has performed concerts with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, Pacific Symphony and many others. As a graduate students, he studied composition at UCLA. He is currently a producer and composer for Eastwest Entertainment.
Hsiang and Han have appeared together, often in colorful Chinese apparel and were popular at their Feb. 13 concert at the Arcadia Public Library last year. Their program, “Celebrating Chinese Music” will set a high standard for concerts that follow.
The Classical Kaleidoscope concert series is sponsored by the Arcadia Public Library Foundation. Admission is free. The Arcadia Public Library is located at 20 W. Duarte Rd., Arcadia.