New Haven ensemble preserves Chinese and Taiwanese folk music traditions

Audiences across Connecticut are discovering Chinese and Taiwanese folk traditions through performances by the New Haven Chinese Cultural Cooperative, a volunteer ensemble dedicated to sharing culture through music.

The group performs traditional folk pieces across the state, using instruments deeply rooted in Chinese and Taiwanese musical traditions, introducing audiences to sounds and styles many may not have experienced before.

“We’re very pleasantly surprised by how much people seem to just embrace our shows,” said Lely Evans, board president of the cooperative.

Founded about two years ago, after the pandemic, the ensemble grew out of a former Chinese-language school in New Haven. Evans, who immigrated from Taiwan, said music became a new way to connect with the community and make cultural traditions more accessible.

“It’s taking our mission further because instead of serving people to come learn language, if you play music…it’s pretty accessible,” Evans said.

The ensemble performs about 12 to 15 times each year throughout Connecticut, with members volunteering their time to rehearse and perform.

Rehearsals are often held inside Evans’ New Haven home, where musicians practice with a variety of traditional instruments, including the erhu, a two-stringed instrument often compared to a violin, and the dizi, a bamboo flute.

“You will see an erhu, or the erhu section, or the dizi section, which is the bamboo flute,” Evans said.

Evans also plays the guzheng, a traditional plucked string instrument with 21 strings.

“It has 21 strings, and it’s tuned a little bit differently than like a Western instrument,” Evans said.

For ensemble member Brandon Wong, a Yale music graduate student from Los Angeles, joining the group has also been a personal journey. Wong plays the ruan, sometimes called the “Chinese banjo,” and said learning the instrument helped him reconnect with his heritage.

“It’s been a very enriching and enlightening experience for me,” Wong said.

Wong, who has a background in classical guitar, said performing with the ensemble has strengthened his appreciation for traditional Chinese music and the opportunity to share it with others.

“It gives us even more of a passion to come to share our love for these kinds of instruments,” Wong said.

Evans said audience reactions have reinforced the importance of exposing people to different cultures and traditions through music.

“It just makes me really happy that they see something different. It’s the whole thing about cultural awareness,” Evans said.

She hopes the performances continue inspiring audiences across the state to explore traditional Chinese and Taiwanese folk music.

“I’m really glad that we get to show this side of our culture to them,” Evans said.

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