There will be two free concerts of traditional Chinese music for the Chinese New Year in Northeast Ohio this weekend (Sat. and Sun., Jan. 30 and 31, 2016 at the public libraries in Burton and Hudson). **************************** Cleveland Chinese Music Ensemble克里夫蘭民族樂團presents"Journey to the Mountain of Flowers and Fruits":A concert for the Chinese New Year新年音樂會《花果山遊記》 Two performances (same program for both): 1) 1:00 p.m., Saturday, January 30, 2015Burton Public Library14588 West Park StreetBurton, OhioFree 2) 2:00 p.m., Sunday, January 31, 2015Hudson Library & Historical Society96 Library StreetHudson, OhioFree The Cleveland Chinese Music Ensemble presents a program of festive music from China and Taiwan in celebration of the Chinese New Year (the Year of the Monkey). The ensemble's instruments include dizi and xiao (bamboo flutes), sheng (mouth organ), erhu (fiddle), sihu (4-stringed fiddle), pipa (pear-shaped lute), yueqin (moon lute), gongs, drums, cymbals, and other percussion. Featured vocalist will be Ms. Yuan Wang, a visiting scholar at Kent State University specializing in Chinese opera and folk singing. The performance will also feature sheng soloist Haochen Qin of Yangzhou, Jiangsu province, China, who is currently pursuing graduate studies in ethnomusicology at Kent State University. The program will also include stories about the adventures of Sun Wukong, the legendary Monkey King of Chinese folklore, from the classic novel "Journey to the West." Inspired by the fanciful setting of the Mountain of Flowers and Fruits (Hua Guo Shan, 花果山), Sun's home in the novel, the performance will treat listeners with a profusion of musical and literary delights. Program: ● Liuyang River (Liuyang He, 浏阳河)● Story: The Monkey King on the Mountain of Flowers and Fruits● Mongolian dance music: Uelzuur (Үелзүүр) and Chudraa (Чудраа)● Sheng solo: Boat Song on Weishan Lake (Weishan Hu Chuan Ge, 微山湖船歌) - featuring Haochen Qin, sheng● Story: The Monkey King Masters the Art of Cloud-Flying● An Embroidered Purse (Xiu Hebao, 绣荷包) - with Yuan Wang, guest vocalist● Longing for the Spring Breeze (Wang Chun Feng, 望春风)● Reminiscing About the Past (Huai Gu, 怀古)● Turtledove Tune (Banjiu Diao, 斑鸠调) - with Yuan Wang, guest vocalist● Story: The Monkey King Visits the Dragon King of the Sea● A Roar of Laughter on the Deep Blue Sea (Chong Hoi Yat Sing Siu, 沧海一声笑) - David Badagnani and ensemble, vocals● Thunder in the Drought (Han Tian Lei, 旱天雷)● Story: The Monkey King Eats the Peaches of Immortality● Happiness in the New Year (Xin Nian Le, 新年乐) Both concerts are free and open to the public and no tickets are required; arrive early for the best seats. More information for Jan. 30 concert: call (440) 834-4466 or visit http://www.burton.lib.oh.us/ More information for Jan. 31 concert: call (330) 653-6658, ext. 1010 or visit http://www.hudsonlibrary.org/ Links for Jan. 30 concert:https://www.facebook.com/events/499634396886112/ http://www.burton.lib.oh.us/content/chinese-new-year-cleveland-chinese-music... Links for Jan. 31 concert: https://www.facebook.com/events/896846920411202/ http://engagedpatrons.org/EventsExtended.cfm?SiteID=3850&EventID=263511&PK http://engagedpatrons.org/events.cfm?siteid=3850&audience=a Article about guest vocalist Yuan Wang in the "Erie Chinese Journal" (Cleveland, Ohio's Chinese-language newspaper):http://ecjweb.net/PDF_FILES/ECJ293/ECJ293-04.PDF Video of guest vocalist Yuan Wang singing an aria from Yihuang xi, a form of local opera from her native Jiangxi province in eastern China:http://www.meipai.com/media/446808597