The chinese music ensemble of new york
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Founded in 1961 by its late Director, Mr. Tsuan-nien Chang (1917-1997), the Chinese Music Ensemble of New York (CMENY) has grown from a few music lovers presenting Cantonese traditional music to becoming the oldest and largest Chinese orchestra in the United States. Its present membership of almost fifty musicians plays practically every type of Chinese musical instrument.
Recognized as the only full-scale non-youth Chinese orchestra in the Americas, the Ensemble maintains its standard of excellence through a program of musical exchange with professional musicians from China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore. Many of its award-winning musicians come from state conservatories of music in Shanghai, Beijing, Sichuan, Tianjin, Shenyang, Guangzhou, and Taipei and have worked in renowned orchestras across Asia. Ensemble performances range from small chamber groups to a full orchestra using a wide range of Chinese bowed and plucked strings, wind, and percussion instruments. Its repertoire ranges from ancient classical to modern compositions, spanning over fifteen hundred years of history. The CMENY also presents folk music of various regions and ethnic groups in China. One of the main objectives of the CMENY is to introduce the music of China to broad audiences--both the concert-going public and professional musicians, so as to enrich the public, strengthen cross-cultural ties, and to help give Chinese music a new voice in the West. To this end, the Ensemble has performed at Lincoln Center Out-of-Doors, Alice Tully Hall, Avery Fisher Hall, Town Hall, Asia Society, Carnegie Hall, Newport Music Festival, and Musikfest. It has appeared at numerous museums, libraries, colleges, and schools throughout the Eastern seaboard. We place great importance on preserving and promoting Chinese musical heritage, and so the Ensemble offers Chinese music lecture-demonstration services to schools and colleges, and gives free musical instrument lessons to schoolchildren during the summer. The Ensemble has worked in the past with Carnegie Hall Weill Music Institute to provide educational programs, including CarnegieKids, Global Encounters, Neighborhood Concert, and Family Concerts at Carnegie Hall. |
Tsuan-nien Chang, founder, on the traditional sheng
A performance of Cantonese music at a free community concert in Chinatown, Manhattan, during the fall of 2014
Flowers being presented to Josephine Yeh, daughter of Tsuan-nien Chang and one of the founding members of the CMENY, during the 2015 spring concert
CMENY being awarded a special New York State Citation from Congressman Ron Kim at the 2023 spring concert
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