The San Gabriel Valley Symphony invites you to a special Lunar New Year Celebration Concert on January 24, 2026, marking the beginning of the Lunar New Year season through a dynamic and emotionally charged evening of music. This concert is a tribute to cultural heritage, artistic resilience, and the power of representation.

The evening begins with the lively Bartered Bride Overture, followed by the professional orchestra premiere of Rising Light by Thai American composer Kevin Charoensri. Originally commissioned for a collaboration between the U.S. Marine Band and Equity Arc, the piece was canceled following executive orders that targeted diversity and inclusion initiatives in the arts. Its performance with the SGV Symphony is not just a musical debut, but a reclamation. This moment represents what it means to stand behind the voices that institutions tried to silence.

The program continues with Ching-Shan Chang’s A Century of East Asian Music, a vibrant and festive celebration of East Asian musical traditions across national borders and generations. A centerpiece of the first half is the Butterfly Lovers Violin Concerto, performed by Phoebu Wu. Blending Western symphonic writing with Chinese folk idioms, the piece tells a timeless tale of love, loss, and transformation that resonates deeply with audiences across cultures.

The second half of the concert, to be announced soon, will feature selections from an acclaimed video game score that highlights the future of storytelling and the rising influence of Asian composers in modern media.

This concert places AAPI voices at the center of its vision. From reimagined folk traditions to political defiance and cinematic innovation, the Lunar New Year Celebration affirms that orchestral music must speak to the communities it serves. Through music, we reclaim space, honor identity, and celebrate the new beginnings ahead.

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