The Yuzhen Jinsheng Yayue Orchestra of Beijing Normal–Hong Kong Baptist University (BNBU) launched its world tour in North America on the evening of 31 January 2026 with a landmark performance at Cary Hall in Lexington, part of the Greater Boston area. The concert marked the orchestra’s first appearance in North American and attracted wide attention from the local arts and academic communities.
Chinese yayue, or ancient Chinese court music, has a history of thousands of years. Cary Hall, a historic cultural venue in the Greater Boston area, provided a resonant setting for the performance.
In his opening remarks, Prof Guo Haipeng, Dean of BNBU’s School of General Education, and founder of the Yuzhen Jinsheng Yayue Orchestra, noted that enduring civilisations are sustained through listening, understanding and dialogue. He highlighted the symbolic significance of presenting yayue, a tradition centred on harmony, order and balance, in a city long associated with learning and intellectual exchange.
James O’Dell, Professor at Berklee College of Music, Judge and Chair of the Boston International Music Competition, described the opportunity to experience the ancient Chinese tradition of yayue firsthand as extraordinary.
Nine works: China’s history in melodies
The Yuzhen Jinsheng Yayue Orchestra is the first university student yayue orchestra from China to perform in the United States in a mainstream American cultural setting. The programme featured nine works spanning different historical periods of Chinese civilisation. Melodies from the Zhou dynasty to the Tang (shaped by the Silk Road) reflected the rich musical and cultural diversity of ancient China. Together, the works demonstrated that yayue is not merely music, but an integrated cultural system encompassing ritual, philosophy, ethics and aesthetics.
“This performance is more than an auditory experience,” said Harry Zhu, Founder of WeStar Music Academy and the Boston International Symphony Orchestra (BISO). “It’s a powerful visual and narrative art form; its sense of ritual and storytelling provides extraordinary inspiration for cross-artistic creation.”
Who also attended the show was Prof Allen LeVines of Berklee with his students, who heard the full set of traditional Chinese yayue instruments live. Driven by his passion for Chinese music, Prof LeVines currently teaches an elective course on Chinese music at Berklee. “These instruments are part of my teaching,” he said. “Tonight’s performance will enrich my future courses with fresh insights.”
Prof Allen LeVines (middle) with BNBU Associate Vice President (Global Engagement) Prof Huang Yu (left) and Dr Yeh Chia-Ying, the orchestra’s chief director
Other distinguished guests in attendance included Patrick Jerome, Executive Director of the Boston International Film Festival; Winston Langley, Professor Emeritus and Former Provost of the University of Massachusetts Boston; James Gardner from Northeast University; Olga Lisovska, Opera Soprano, BISO Co-founder; Rebecca Perricone from Berklee; Weichen Lin from Boston University, as well as faculty members, musicians and cultural leaders from across the region. Representatives from BNBU, including senior management, Vice President Prof Zhou Yongming, and Associate Vice President Prof Huang Yu, were also present.
Liberal arts in practice: students bridging culture and the world
The North American premiere reflects BNBU’s distinctive liberal arts mission and its commitment to cultivating globally minded students grounded in Chinese culture. Members of the orchestra come from a wide range of academic disciplines, including financial mathematics, data science and media and communication studies. In addition to musical training, students study classical texts and cultural history, developing both artistic skill and humanistic understanding.
“Projects like this vividly embody the essence of global education,” one guest commented. “They nurture young leaders who are rooted in their own cultural heritage while engaging openly with the world.”
The Boston performance forms part of BNBU’s broader international development strategy. Following the establishment of its Boston Center in 2025 and the recent inauguration of its London Center, the university continues to expand its global engagement through academic exchange, cultural dialogue and student mobility.
“We are dedicated to cultivating talent that possesses both a strong sense of social responsibility and a global perspective--students who cherish their heritage while engaging with the world,” said BNBU President Prof Chen Zhi.
After the concert, BNBU representatives and guests held in-depth discussions on topics including China–US university cultural exchange, the contemporary interpretation of classical arts, and cross-cultural approaches to music education.
The Yuzhen Jinsheng Yayue Orchestra will continue its North American tour with its next performance on 6 February 2026 at Flushing Town Hall in New York, bringing the dialogue between ancient ritual music and modern global audiences to one of the world’s most vibrant cultural cities.
From MPRO
Reporter: Cecilia Yu
Photographer: Jack Xiao, Liu Yinjia
