Erhu, guzheng, suona, pipa, and more-Chinese traditional music instruments which appear mysterious to many Americans, caused quite a stir in late August at the Sanders Theater at Harvard University in the United States.

The concert was presented by a group of Chinese and American students, aged between 13 and 22, from the Bard Youth China Orchestra. They staged their maiden show on Aug 25 at Bard College about 150 kilometers north of New York.

The young musicians were on a two-week summer academic trip sponsored by the US-China Music Institute of the Bard College Conservatory of Music, in partnership with China's Central Conservatory of Music.

"I hardly knew that they were students. I was totally blown away by the rhythms, the range of the melodies and the force of the music," said Donald Westmore, who drove from a nearby town to see the concert.

"I feel like I was witnessing a new age, and a new export from China-music!"

Another audience member Linda Schwab Edmundson said: "I've been to China several times. So, I wouldn't miss any performances from China here because I know how special they are."

Conducted by Jindong Cai, the concerts featured a range of works for orchestra, from the classical to the modern.

Cai compared traditional Chinese music to ancient Chinese paintings.

"You just close your eyes, and see the rivers and flowers from the music," said Cai. "I am very happy that the students had the chance to show off their talent and make such a great start to our Sino-American music cooperation program."

The Bard Youth China Orchestra aims to give talented young Chinese musicians the opportunity to perform in the US, and provide audiences with the chance to hear music rarely performed outside of China, Cai said.

The US-China Music Institute of the Bard College Conservatory of Music was formed in 2017 with the goal of creating a major platform in the US for the study, performance and appreciation of contemporary Chinese music, Cai said.

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