First Presbyterian Church, 96 Main Street, Stamford, NY.
Suggested donation: $15 adults, $10 students and seniors, free for ages 13 and under.
No reservations required.

Keiko Tokunaga, violin
Sean Wang, violin
Andy Lin, viola/erhu
Hikaru Tamaki, cello
Yoko Reikano Kimura, koto/shamisen/voice

This captivating program brings together traditional East Asian instruments—the Chinese erhu, Japanese koto, and shamisen—in dynamic conversation with the Western string quartet, creating a sonic landscape where cultural traditions merge and transform.

Listen to the group’s interview with WSKG’s Bill Snyder here.

The evening opens with Michael Ippolito’s Sekai no hazama (Between Worlds), a striking new work for shamisen and string quartet. Inspired by Japanese woodblock prints and folk tales, the piece explores mythical and whimsical scenes—elephants misunderstood, ghostly skeletons dancing, and timeless gardens—all filtered through a blend of Eastern and Western sensibilities.

Stephanie Chou’s Dragon continues the East-West dialogue, showcasing the expressive power of the erhu in a fiery musical narrative grounded in Chinese tradition yet shaped by contemporary classical form. Wildlife Suites by Yaoxin Chen and Tienhua Liu further this cross-cultural fusion, painting vivid portraits of animals through the unique timbre of the erhu supported by string trio.

After intermission, Daron Hagen’s Koto Concerto: Genji offers a lyrical and theatrical journey through scenes from The Tale of Genji. The koto and voice move between shimmering textures and lyrical introspection, supported by the Western ensemble to evoke dreamlike transitions and timeless beauty. Together, the program is a celebration of artistic hybridity, where music transcends borders to create a shared language of imagination, tradition, and innovation.

Founded in 2010 by a group of passionate young Asian-American musicians who wanted to create more opportunities for Asian artists and bring fresh energy to chamber music. Since then, NACMS has won the 2016 Huang-Yu-Ting Memorial Award and a New Music USA grant. The members, graduates of prestigious schools like Juilliard and Curtis, have performed around the world and are dedicated to delivering high-quality, memorable concerts.

NACMS made its sold-out debut at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall in 2011 and continues to perform at iconic venues across New York, such as Alice Tully Hall and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. They also bring their music to unique spaces like Ellis Island and Queens Museum and have toured internationally, including Paraguay and a memorable trip to Taiwan for performances and master classes.

The society collaborates with world-class artists, like Toby Appel, Hsin-Yun Huang, and Cho-Liang Lin, to bring audiences diverse, dynamic performances. Their House Salon Concerts and Between The Bars series offer intimate, interactive events, with insights from seasoned musicians. During the pandemic, they introduced NACMS Originals and Music On Air to stay connected with audiences online.

From 2022 to 2024, three consecutive years, NACMS was invited to perform the U.S. national anthem at Madison Square Garden and Citi Field, celebrating cultural diversity. They also partnered with Bard College for the China Now Music Festival. Going forward, NACMS is launching a Young Artist Competition and music festival to support emerging talent and continue inspiring audiences across generations and cultures. Through their Membership Program, NACMS invites music lovers to join in their mission of making chamber music an inclusive, shared experience.

Program:
Michael Ippolito: Sekai no hazama (Between Worlds) (2023) for Shamisen and String
Quartet
I. The Blind Men and the Elephant
II. Plum Garden at Kameido (Hiroshige)
III. Skeleton Dance (Kyosai)
IV.
Stephanie Chou: Dragon for Erhu and String Trio
Yaoxin Chen and Tienhua Liu: Wildlife Suites for Erhu and String Trio

—intermission—

Daron Aric Hagen: Koto Concerto: Genji
I. Cicada Shell
II. Falling Flowers
III. Maiden on the Bridge
IV. Floating Bridge of Dreams
V. Vanished into the Clouds

 

First Presbyterian Church, 96 Main Street, Stamford, NY.
Suggested donation: $15 adults, $10 students and seniors, free for ages 13 and under.
No reservations required.

Keiko Tokunaga, violin
Sean Wang, violin
Andy Lin, viola/erhu
Hikaru Tamaki, cello
Yoko Reikano Kimura, koto/shamisen/voice

This captivating program brings together traditional East Asian instruments—the Chinese erhu, Japanese koto, and shamisen—in dynamic conversation with the Western string quartet, creating a sonic landscape where cultural traditions merge and transform.

Listen to the group’s interview with WSKG’s Bill Snyder here.

The evening opens with Michael Ippolito’s Sekai no hazama (Between Worlds), a striking new work for shamisen and string quartet. Inspired by Japanese woodblock prints and folk tales, the piece explores mythical and whimsical scenes—elephants misunderstood, ghostly skeletons dancing, and timeless gardens—all filtered through a blend of Eastern and Western sensibilities.

Stephanie Chou’s Dragon continues the East-West dialogue, showcasing the expressive power of the erhu in a fiery musical narrative grounded in Chinese tradition yet shaped by contemporary classical form. Wildlife Suites by Yaoxin Chen and Tienhua Liu further this cross-cultural fusion, painting vivid portraits of animals through the unique timbre of the erhu supported by string trio.

After intermission, Daron Hagen’s Koto Concerto: Genji offers a lyrical and theatrical journey through scenes from The Tale of Genji. The koto and voice move between shimmering textures and lyrical introspection, supported by the Western ensemble to evoke dreamlike transitions and timeless beauty. Together, the program is a celebration of artistic hybridity, where music transcends borders to create a shared language of imagination, tradition, and innovation.

Founded in 2010 by a group of passionate young Asian-American musicians who wanted to create more opportunities for Asian artists and bring fresh energy to chamber music. Since then, NACMS has won the 2016 Huang-Yu-Ting Memorial Award and a New Music USA grant. The members, graduates of prestigious schools like Juilliard and Curtis, have performed around the world and are dedicated to delivering high-quality, memorable concerts.

NACMS made its sold-out debut at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall in 2011 and continues to perform at iconic venues across New York, such as Alice Tully Hall and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. They also bring their music to unique spaces like Ellis Island and Queens Museum and have toured internationally, including Paraguay and a memorable trip to Taiwan for performances and master classes.

The society collaborates with world-class artists, like Toby Appel, Hsin-Yun Huang, and Cho-Liang Lin, to bring audiences diverse, dynamic performances. Their House Salon Concerts and Between The Bars series offer intimate, interactive events, with insights from seasoned musicians. During the pandemic, they introduced NACMS Originals and Music On Air to stay connected with audiences online.

From 2022 to 2024, three consecutive years, NACMS was invited to perform the U.S. national anthem at Madison Square Garden and Citi Field, celebrating cultural diversity. They also partnered with Bard College for the China Now Music Festival. Going forward, NACMS is launching a Young Artist Competition and music festival to support emerging talent and continue inspiring audiences across generations and cultures. Through their Membership Program, NACMS invites music lovers to join in their mission of making chamber music an inclusive, shared experience.

Program:
Michael Ippolito: Sekai no hazama (Between Worlds) (2023) for Shamisen and String
Quartet
I. The Blind Men and the Elephant
II. Plum Garden at Kameido (Hiroshige)
III. Skeleton Dance (Kyosai)
IV.
Stephanie Chou: Dragon for Erhu and String Trio
Yaoxin Chen and Tienhua Liu: Wildlife Suites for Erhu and String Trio

—intermission—

Daron Aric Hagen: Koto Concerto: Genji
I. Cicada Shell
II. Falling Flowers
III. Maiden on the Bridge
IV. Floating Bridge of Dreams
V. Vanished into the Clouds

 

First Presbyterian Church, 96 Main Street, Stamford, NY.
Suggested donation: $15 adults, $10 students and seniors, free for ages 13 and under.
No reservations required.

Keiko Tokunaga, violin
Sean Wang, violin
Andy Lin, viola/erhu
Hikaru Tamaki, cello
Yoko Reikano Kimura, koto/shamisen/voice

This captivating program brings together traditional East Asian instruments—the Chinese erhu, Japanese koto, and shamisen—in dynamic conversation with the Western string quartet, creating a sonic landscape where cultural traditions merge and transform.

Listen to the group’s interview with WSKG’s Bill Snyder here.

The evening opens with Michael Ippolito’s Sekai no hazama (Between Worlds), a striking new work for shamisen and string quartet. Inspired by Japanese woodblock prints and folk tales, the piece explores mythical and whimsical scenes—elephants misunderstood, ghostly skeletons dancing, and timeless gardens—all filtered through a blend of Eastern and Western sensibilities.

Stephanie Chou’s Dragon continues the East-West dialogue, showcasing the expressive power of the erhu in a fiery musical narrative grounded in Chinese tradition yet shaped by contemporary classical form. Wildlife Suites by Yaoxin Chen and Tienhua Liu further this cross-cultural fusion, painting vivid portraits of animals through the unique timbre of the erhu supported by string trio.

After intermission, Daron Hagen’s Koto Concerto: Genji offers a lyrical and theatrical journey through scenes from The Tale of Genji. The koto and voice move between shimmering textures and lyrical introspection, supported by the Western ensemble to evoke dreamlike transitions and timeless beauty. Together, the program is a celebration of artistic hybridity, where music transcends borders to create a shared language of imagination, tradition, and innovation.

Founded in 2010 by a group of passionate young Asian-American musicians who wanted to create more opportunities for Asian artists and bring fresh energy to chamber music. Since then, NACMS has won the 2016 Huang-Yu-Ting Memorial Award and a New Music USA grant. The members, graduates of prestigious schools like Juilliard and Curtis, have performed around the world and are dedicated to delivering high-quality, memorable concerts.

NACMS made its sold-out debut at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall in 2011 and continues to perform at iconic venues across New York, such as Alice Tully Hall and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. They also bring their music to unique spaces like Ellis Island and Queens Museum and have toured internationally, including Paraguay and a memorable trip to Taiwan for performances and master classes.

The society collaborates with world-class artists, like Toby Appel, Hsin-Yun Huang, and Cho-Liang Lin, to bring audiences diverse, dynamic performances. Their House Salon Concerts and Between The Bars series offer intimate, interactive events, with insights from seasoned musicians. During the pandemic, they introduced NACMS Originals and Music On Air to stay connected with audiences online.

From 2022 to 2024, three consecutive years, NACMS was invited to perform the U.S. national anthem at Madison Square Garden and Citi Field, celebrating cultural diversity. They also partnered with Bard College for the China Now Music Festival. Going forward, NACMS is launching a Young Artist Competition and music festival to support emerging talent and continue inspiring audiences across generations and cultures. Through their Membership Program, NACMS invites music lovers to join in their mission of making chamber music an inclusive, shared experience.

Program:
Michael Ippolito: Sekai no hazama (Between Worlds) (2023) for Shamisen and String
Quartet
I. The Blind Men and the Elephant
II. Plum Garden at Kameido (Hiroshige)
III. Skeleton Dance (Kyosai)
IV.
Stephanie Chou: Dragon for Erhu and String Trio
Yaoxin Chen and Tienhua Liu: Wildlife Suites for Erhu and String Trio

—intermission—

Daron Aric Hagen: Koto Concerto: Genji
I. Cicada Shell
II. Falling Flowers
III. Maiden on the Bridge
IV. Floating Bridge of Dreams
V. Vanished into the Clouds