2023 East Meets West: AAPI Heritage Month Concert

Every May, the country celebrates Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month. This is a celebration where historical, social, and cultural contributions of our communities are recognized, individual and collective life experience and journeys are commemorated, and unique arts of our diverse and fast-growing group are shared with fellow Americans coast to coast.

To honor this annual tradition, Merano Cultural Performances and Sino US Performing Arts Organization join hands and co-produce a brand-new concert in partnership with local AAPI musicians. We name this music project “East Meets West”. Because though most AAPI arts are from the East, or non-Western regions, they are thriving, through efforts by many talented artists, in the U.S, where East and West not just met but are truly embracing each other. We hope our melodies would not just celebrate our common heritages but facilitate understanding and exchange among different cultures.

In this inaugural concert at Rosemead Auditorium, audiences embark on an amazing journey where diverse AAPI art genres and styles are presented by a star-studded lineup. Musicians from Zhonghua Chinese Orchestra and opera vocalists introduce masterpieces of Chinese music traditions; Korean percussionists and dancers showcase their fascinating art of drumming; Japanese Shamisen player and keyboardist feature medley combining past with present; Indian artists of table-sitar duo charm everyone with mystical North Indian melody; and Hawaiian Ukulele singers conjure up ambience of beaches and surfs.