On the crisp afternoon of October 18, 2025, Gallery on Queen in Fredericton was transformed into a space of poetic resonance and cross-cultural harmony. Bathed in the golden hues of autumn sunlight, the concert Beyond the River invited the audience into an hour of serene beauty and emotional depth. Presented by M+ Studio and co-organized by the Gallery on Queen and the National Cultural and Creative Association of Canada (NCCAC), the event embodied the essence of cultural dialogue — a meeting of East and West through the universal language of music and poetry.
(Audience moved by the music, picture by Luowei Xu)
A Salon of Grace and Stillness
The performance was part of the Music on Queen series, a project dedicated to bringing intimate, high-caliber music experiences to Fredericton’s art-loving community. The afternoon unfolded like a modern salon — elegant, tranquil, and deeply human. Guests gathered amid the gallery’s luminous setting, where fine art surrounded live music, creating an atmosphere at once contemplative and celebratory.
At the center of the program stood Chen Fei, a rising erhu virtuoso whose artistry bridges tradition and innovation. Often described as the “Chinese violin,” the erhu became in her hands an instrument of both ancient depth and contemporary resonance. Her tone — at times as tender as whispered poetry, at times as vivid as sunlight dancing on rippling water — carried listeners across landscapes of both geography and emotion.
The Artist and Her Craft
Born into a family of erhu musicians, Chen Fei earned her Master’s degree from the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, one of China’s most prestigious institutions. She has performed erhu, jinghu, and gaohu with the China Youth National Orchestra and the China National Opera and Dance Drama Theater, appearing at major festivals including the Beijing Modern Music Festival and the Shanghai Spring International Music Festival.
Her artistry blends technical precision with profound emotional intelligence. In Beyond the River, her erhu became a vessel for memory and migration — a sonic landscape where nostalgia and renewal intertwined. Her performance was not only a display of virtuosity but also an intimate reflection on cultural identity and belonging.
A Journey Through Sound and Poetry
The concert opened with a series of erhu solos, each evoking a distinct mood and setting:
• “Jasmine Flower” (《茉莉花》), pure and graceful
• “A Grieved Beauty” (《枉凝眉》) and “Beautiful Night” (《良宵》), filled with the tenderness and introspection of autumn
• “The Grapes Are Ripe” (《葡萄熟了》), lively and rhythmic, inspired by the dance traditions of western China
Interwoven among the musical selections were poetry recitations of Su Shi’s “Prelude to Water Melody” (《水调歌头·丙辰中秋》) and the contemporary poem “I Want to Send You the Entire Autumn” (《我想把秋天寄给你》).
Read by Wei Li and Charles Pan, the poems resonated deeply within the diasporic context. The moon — a recurring symbol in both classical and modern literature — illuminated themes of longing, reunion, and connection across distance.
The program continued with the iconic “Moon Reflected on Erquan Spring” (《二泉映月》), a profoundly moving erhu masterpiece composed by the blind folk musician A’bing. Chen’s interpretation was haunting in its sincerity — her bow strokes delicate yet filled with restrained power, each note echoing from the depths of time and emotion.
Crossing Boundaries: From Erhu to Ensemble
The concert expanded into collaboration as pianist Yuhan Pan joined Chen Fei for The Butterfly Lovers (《梁祝》), the beloved Chinese concerto inspired by a legendary tale of love and metamorphosis. In this intimate duo setting, erhu and piano conversed like two voices across time — the erhu plaintive and yearning, the piano tender and supportive. Together, they captured the timeless spirit of devotion embedded in the narrative.
For the encore, Chen offered a cross-cultural gesture that perfectly embodied the concert’s spirit:
• “Londonderry Air (Danny Boy)”, rendered with lyrical nuance and vocal-like warmth, and
• “Galloping Horses” (《赛马》), an exhilarating Chinese showpiece that closed the afternoon with brilliance and joy
The audience responded with warm applause, touched not only by Chen’s virtuosity but by the sincerity and generosity of her performance.
Artistic Direction: Charles (Yazhou) Pan
The artistic vision of Beyond the River was shaped by Charles (Yazhou) Pan, Artistic Director of the event and M+ Studio. Charles is a Chinese-Canadian artist, educator, and cultural organizer whose work spans visual arts, music programming, documentary film, and community-engaged art. He is a PhD candidate in Art Education at the University of New Brunswick, an instructor in media arts and photography at McKenzie College, and the Artistic Director of M+ Studio, a creative hub that connects emerging artists, immigrant creatives, and interdisciplinary practices.
His curatorial and artistic projects — from visual art exhibitions and multimedia storytelling to music-poetry performance design — continually explore themes of identity, migration, belonging, well-being, and the emotional landscapes between cultures. As Artistic Director, Charles envisioned Beyond the River as a space where Eastern and Western aesthetics meet, where classical traditions converse with contemporary life, and where immigrant artistic voices are recognized, celebrated, and shared with the broader community.
Bridging Cultures, Building Community
More than a recital, Beyond the River was a cultural event of rare resonance. It reflected the growing vitality of Chinese-Canadian artistic exchange, in which immigrant musicians like Chen Fei are not only preserving tradition but reinterpreting it for new audiences.
In Canada’s multicultural landscape, such events hold profound significance. They affirm that cultural identity is not bound by geography; it can flow like water — adaptable, resilient, and enriching to all it touches.
The program’s blending of traditional Chinese melodies and Western classics demonstrated how music can transcend boundaries. The pairing of Londonderry Air with Galloping Horses symbolized two distinct traditions meeting in a shared artistic dialogue.
Art, Memory, and Belonging
Autumn has long been a season of reflection in Chinese poetry — a time to contemplate the passing of life and the continuity of memory and affection. The concert’s theme, centered on the moon and the river, carried this sentiment with quiet eloquence.
For many attendees — including members of the Chinese diaspora and local art patrons — the event became a moment of cultural homecoming, a space where shared beauty illuminated shared identity.
The performance was accompanied by mooncakes, floral tea, coffee, and refreshments, inviting guests to experience the warmth and symbolism of Mid-Autumn traditions. Conversations flowed effortlessly across languages, creating an atmosphere filled with grace, resonance, and a genuine sense of community.
The Future of Cultural Exchange
Beyond the River also marked an important step toward new modes of cross-cultural artistic presentation. By hosting the concert within an art gallery, the event bridged visual and performing arts, offering a multilayered experience that invited deep reflection.
The partnership among Gallery on Queen, NCCAC, and M+ Studio demonstrated how collaboration can nurture talent, foster dialogue, and enrich the cultural landscape of the region.
Conclusion: A Song Beyond Borders
As the final notes of Galloping Horses faded and the autumn light settled into evening, Beyond the River left an impression far deeper than performance alone. It became a meditation on identity, artistry, memory, and connection.
Through the voice of the erhu, Chen Fei offered not just melodies but memories;
through the collaboration of artists and organizers, the event affirmed that beauty knows no borders.
In a world too often divided by difference, Beyond the River reminded us that music — like the moon reflected on still waters — can unite hearts across distance and time.
(By NCCAC, National Cultural and Creative Association of Canada )