The seventh edition of the China Now Music Festival, co-hosted by the Bard College Conservatory of Music and the Central Conservatory of Music in China, made a grand return to Carnegie Hall in Manhattan recently. Under the theme “Composing the Future,” this year’s festival introduced artificial intelligence technology for the first time, collaborating with over a hundred musicians from both the U.S. and China to create a unique musical experience.

Before the concert, the second U.S.-China Music Forum was held in the Rohatyn Room at Carnegie Hall, focusing on the theme of “Composing the Future.” Li Xiaobing, the head of the AI and Music Information Technology department at the Central Conservatory of Music, shared that there were initial plans to have a robot conduct the performance, but those plans did not materialize. Sun Yuming, a faculty member in electronic music composition, emphasized that AI-generated music should not be confined to mere coding but should continually expand the boundaries of what music can be.

The opening concert, conducted by Artistic Director Cai Jindong and performed by The Orchestra Now, showcased a symphonic experience infused with Chinese aesthetics. Composer Gong Tianpeng’s “Jing Ju” and Du Yun’s “Hundred-Headed Beast” offered fresh interpretations of traditional Chinese opera and American soul music. The concert also featured symphonic works by Central Conservatory of Music composition professors Qin Wencheng and Yao Chen. Qin’s “Ling Lun Playing Music” draws inspiration from ancient Chinese mythology, depicting Ling Lun’s creation of instruments from the sounds of nature, establishing the Twelve Tones to express the variations of sounds in the world.

Additionally, the concert highlighted orchestral pieces composed by AI, including the “Overture: Welcome” and “Landscape of a Thousand Miles,” both generated by the Central Conservatory’s AI composition system.

Cai Jindong remarked, “Several generations of Chinese composers have been paving the way for the future of classical music, and some are exploring artificial intelligence technology to deliver new forms of musical expression. However, we firmly believe that the core of music creation arises from human creativity and imagination.”

The festival’s closing performance is scheduled for Saturday, October 19, with more information and tickets available at carnegiehall.org. Moreover, a free Bard concert will take place on Friday, October 18, at 7 PM at the Fisher Center at Bard, located at 60 Manor Avenue, Red Hook, NY 12571.