People crowded into the Chicago Cultural Center Friday night for a special concert by the Shanghai Chinese Orchestra which would help them know more about Chinese culture.

 

The traditional Chinese musical selections ranged from the classic composition "Flowing Water" to the contemporary "The Silk Road," and audience members were absolutely thrilled to listen to such an artistic performance given absolutely for free.

 

But it was not just a treat for the ears, as Shanghai Chinese Orchestra Artistic Director Wang Fujian also made sure that the audience learned about Chinese musical traditions that went back thousands of years.

 

Before each musical selection, Wang explained to the audience which instruments would be played next and why. He also provided some historical background for each piece.

 

One by one, the musicians played compositions with guqin, erhu, guzheng and other traditional Chinese instruments, with the audience either listening attentively or clapping along, depending on the melody.

 

In fact, the concertgoers had enjoyed the orchestra's performance so much that the group sat back down to play two encores of Shanghai New Year songs after the Shanghai Chinese Orchestra took their final bow.

 

In an interview backstage, Wang was very positive about the experience and told Xinhua that the orchestra members had greatly enjoyed their visit to the United States, discovering many things about the country in each of the seven U.S. cities they had visited.

 

"Every place is different and every atmosphere is different," Wang said, adding that the group had not only seen the big cosmopolitan city of Chicago but many small American college towns as well.

 

However, he said that no matter where the group went, they were warmly welcomed and that his favorite part had been visiting the schools, where young students had profoundly enjoyed the orchestra's performance.

 

Wang said that overall, he enjoyed sharing more about Chinese music with Americans and seeing the United States for himself, noting that despite the distance, the two countries actually had much in common.

 

"Of course we are all different, but with regards to culture there are actually many similarities," he said, referring to both nations' deep love of music.

 

Friday's concert, which was hosted by the Chicago Chinese Cultural Institute, was the last stop for the Shanghai Chinese Orchestra on their one-month tour. The group will return to Shanghai Saturday with memories of the U.S. states they have visited - Kansas, Michigan, Maryland, Texas, Pennsylvania and Illinois.