The Vancouver Chinese Music Ensemble is an ensemble of traditional Chinese musical instruments based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The ensemble performs both at concerts and at community events.[1] Their music encompasses both traditional Chinese pieces and modern music by composers from around the world.[2][3]
The Vancouver Chinese Music Ensemble was established in 1989. The classically trained musicians perform on traditional Chinese instruments, including erhu, dizi, pipa, yangqin, guzheng, and ruan.[4][3] In 1994 the band released an album, Nine-Fold Heart, on Ponchee Records. The album contained both traditional Chinese dance music and modern compositions.[5] A second album, Transplanted Purple Bamboo, was released in 2000. Their 2005 album New Frontiers, received local radio play.[6][7]
In 2007 the ensemble performed at the Mission Folk Music Festival. In 2016 they participated in the downtown concert at the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival.[8] The ensemble performs regularly at the Dr. Sun-Yat Sen Classical Chinese Garden in Vancouver.[3]