Palace of the Moon – Combining the Best of Chinese and Western Music

By David Li, bostonese.com

In the evening of October 7, the Boston Beijing Opera Association (BBOA) presented its annual performance at Cambridge Family YMCA Theater. I enjoyed the entire program thoroughly along with roughly 300 people in the audience.



In addition to the wonderful traditional Beijing opera performances, the annual performance also featured two of the best young musicians in the Boston area: Hui Weng and Pei Yin. They performed instrumental ensemble Palace of the Moon, which is a unique piece that combines the beautiful sound of guzheng (Chinese zither) and Jazz spirit of saxophone.

Saxophonist Pei Yin began his classical saxophone study in Beijing, graduated from Musikhochschule “Hanns Eisler”, Berlin and Longy School of Music, Boston, receiving Artist Diploma with highest honor. He won many national and international prizes. He performs as soloist and chamber musician at music festivals in Europe, United States and Asia.




Hui Weng, a renowned young guzheng player, is a member of the Chinese Nationalities Orchestra Society. She graduated from Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, China with a Master Degree in Music. In 2011, she successfully held her solo concert in Beijing and issued her first music album 《墨客》. She is recently engaged herself to introducing the ancient Chinese instrument to the rest of the world and to harmonizing its melody with the contemporary music. She entered the New England Conservatory in 2012 as the first Chinese student in her department.

Ms. Weng told me that she also performed at the The 5th Annual Youth Poetry in Silk and Bamboo Chinese Music Concert the day before. She mentioned that she was very impressed by the talented local students of Chinese music.