Museum Kicks Off Monthly Music Series

CHINATOWN — A new concert series will bring the sounds of classic and contemporary Chinese music to the Chinese-American Museum of Chicago.

The series, called "A Different Sound of Music," brings performers and audiences together through concerts and workshops.

The performances will take place on the second Saturdays of each month at the museum, 238 W. 23^rd St.

The series kicks off Saturday with the “New Centennial” concert, performed by a trio led by multi-instrumentalist Kerry Leung. A complete performance schedule can be found at the museum’s website.

Some performances include the use of traditional Chinese instruments such as bamboo flute, a plucked zither called a zheng, and pipas, a pear-shaped string instrument.

Museum director Anita Hsueh Luk said she was inspired to create the series after watching a practice session by a group of local immigrant musicians.

Many had regular day jobs at Chinatown restaurants but were committed to music in their down time.

“On their days off, they’d gather and play music. I was thinking maybe we should honor these musicians. They might not ... have a lot of training but their persistence in doing something they like is inspiring,” Luk said.

Tickets for each concert are $12. Museum members, students and seniors will be charged $8.  A yearlong pass costs $88.