World Music: HarmoniZing presents 2Thousand (China & Spain)

Two folk instruments tell the story of a millenia, from Spain to China, by way of two talented musicians.

2Thousand is a dragon and a phoenix, born from each end of the world, in the ancient time when people believed the world was flat. The journey took more than one thousand years, when these two mythical beauties met in a new continent, while the world became round. Together, they remembered where they came from, and shared stories from their ancient world with one another. Their stories slowly evolved, from the hustle and bustle of medieval markets, to today’s cacophony of global electronic trade. 2Thousand now speaks one contemporary language, emanating from the same ancient human utterance.

The dragon and the phoenix are Chinese Erhu performed by Mimi Jong, and Spanish Hurdy Gurdy performed by Tomás Lozano, both instruments with a history longer than a millennium. Now through their original voices in conversation, these two folk instruments create a new sound never heard before. Mimi and Tomás will be joined by guest musician Jin Yang, playing the Pipa.

About the Artists:

Tomás Lozano is an internationally recognized singer, instrumentalist, composer, scholar and writer born in Barcelona, and raised between southern Spain and Catalonia. His musical career took off while touring Europe, playing folk, traditional and medieval music at festivals in Switzerland, southern France, Germany, northern Italy, etc. By 1993, Lozano was touring Canada and the United States, sponsored by the Spanish Ministry of External Affairs. Since then, Lozano resides in the United States where he continues to perform solo and with a number of other musicians across the country.

Mimi Jong has a diverse musical background acquired from being born and raised in Indonesia, educated in Germany, and immigrating to the United States. Since age 11, she has been performing erhu, an ancient, Chinese, two-string, bowed instrument. By moving beyond tradition and embracing the erhu’s versatility, Mimi has performed with jazz, folk and classical musicians, conducted educational workshops, and performed at music festivals and universities. With the mission of nurturing cross-cultural connections through art, Mimi has co-founded multiple projects. Demonstrating her open mind and musical flexibility, Mimi collaborated with oud master TomChess, Persian santur master Dr. Dariush Saghafi and tombak master Mahmoud Tehrani. Mimi’s cross-disciplinary involvements include collaboration with Mary Miller Dance Company, and artist Jennifer Myers theatrical productions, creating ground-breaking, cinematic performances. Mimi was a recipient of 2014 “Master Artists and Tradition Bearers Award” from Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area. In addition, she serves as the music program director for “Silk Screen Arts and Cultural Organization” and the board president and founding member of “HarmoniZing,” where her contributions include recruiting renowned artists for local concerts and residencies, and providing a platform to encourage diversity in Pittsburgh’s music scene.

Yang Jin is a renowned Pipa soloist, having graduated from world-renowned Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing with distinguished honor. In 2004, she won Silver Award in the most prestigious Chinese Golden Bell Award for Music. As a collaborating musician of Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble, she joined the Great music epic “Layla and Majnun” world tour in 2016, gracing iconic venues, including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center and Harris Theater. Jin is an instructor of University of Delaware Master Players Concert & Festival and a judge of the Hummingbird International Music Competition at Eastman school of music. Since 2013, Yang Jin has led various crossover ensembles, including Cleveland Chinese Music Ensemble, Pittsburgh Purple Bamboo Music Ensemble, Helio Phoenix Trio, HarmoniZing, J4 and Summer Wind Jazz Ensemble. Through these endeavors, she fosters cross-cultural innovation and collaboration and has earned widespread acclaim.

About Your Visit: 

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