A Cross-Strait Gu Zheng music concert was held at the Carrie Chang Music Hall on February 26, featuring with famous Gu Zheng musicians and Chinese orchestras from both sides of the Taiwan Strait, including China Eastern Orchestra, led by its head Wang Tianyi and Taipei Zheng Xin Zither Music Ensemble and its founder Wei Der-dong, a graduate from the TKU Chinese Department. A total of 13 scores were played by dozens of different Gu Zengs during the concert, presenting a joyful time for audiences. Gu Zheng is an ancient Chinese instrument plucked zither.

The concert was opened by the performances of famous Hong Kong Gu Zheng master Wong Wai- tag and Wang Dongwan of the China Eastern Orchestra. Their excellent skills have won the hearts of every audience. One of the audience, Wu Qiong, a Chinese students from Liaoning province Huludao City said that he was deeply impressed by Chinese musician Jiang Miao’s performance of “Elegy at the Wujiang River.” “Though it wasn’t my first time to hear the song, it still makes me cry,” Wu said.

The second half of the concert featured the show presented by the Taipei Zheng Xin Zither Music Ensemble and Sanjhih Elementary School Alumni Gu Zheng Orchestra. Though the musicians in the two Taiwan’s orchestras are quite young, their performance still won several round of applause from the audiences. Wei, founder of the Taipei Zheng Xin Zither Music Ensemble, said that such concert can serve as great opportunity for exchanges, allowing different musicians to learn from each other and let the instrument Gu Zheng to perform different new sounds. ( ~Yeh Yun-kai )