MTSU Center for Chinese Music and Culture

09/03/2026

Dr. Mei Han and the newly formed Harmony Chinese Ensemble brought Chinese musical traditions to one of Tennessee’s largest cultural celebrations on August 30, performing at the Knox Asian Festival, an annual event that welcomes approximately 40,000 people.

The ensemble included MTSU music student Henry Wright, Class of 2027, alumni Jacob Young, Class of 2026, and Shane Spurgeon, Class of 2025, along with Jake Capistrant, Center for Chinese Music and Culture visiting scholar Professor Jingyi Zhan, and Dr. Han. Together, they presented a program featuring both traditional and contemporary Chinese music.

Harmony Chinese Ensemble grew out of the MTSU Chinese Music Ensemble, making this performance a meaningful extension of the School of Music’s cross-cultural learning into the wider community.

It is especially rewarding to see former students continuing to perform Chinese music after their time at MTSU. Their work shows how musical experiences developed in the School of Music can continue well beyond campus, building new connections and reaching new audiences.

Stay connected with the MTSU School of Music: https://music.mtsu.edu/updates/
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Alt text, Image 1: Members of Harmony Chinese Ensemble perform on an outdoor stage beneath a large white tent at the Knox Asian Festival. Musicians play Chinese wind, string, and percussion instruments while an audience watches from the foreground.

Alt text, Image 2: Seven members of Harmony Chinese Ensemble pose outdoors after their performance. The group includes current and former MTSU musicians, Dr. Mei Han, and fellow collaborators, with several members holding traditional Chinese wind instruments.

09/01/2026

Dr. Mei Han, Professor of Music and Director of the MTSU Center for Chinese Music and Culture, spent an inspiring week this summer as a faculty member for the Silkroad Ensemble’s Global Musicians Workshop at New England Conservatory.

Created by renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma, Silkroad brings together artists and musical traditions from around the world. This year’s workshop welcomed more than 50 musicians from 22 countries for a week of collaboration, rehearsals, workshops, and performances.

Dr. Han worked closely with three small ensembles of emerging musicians whose backgrounds included Western classical, jazz, and traditional music from many cultures. She also led a workshop on Chinese music and shared her own musical journey, including how working across cultures and genres has shaped her growth as an artist.

For Dr. Han, the experience was a powerful reminder of music’s ability to connect people across cultural and musical boundaries.

She especially encourages MTSU students and alumni pursuing careers in performance to consider applying for next year’s Global Musicians Workshop. It is a valuable opportunity to encounter new traditions, expand musical perspectives, and develop the openness and versatility increasingly important to a professional music career.

Stay connected with the MTSU School of Music: https://forms.microsoft.com/r/ePXQTDtLNx
Submit news and events: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/kewiyEizyH
Accessibility accommodations: [email protected]



Alt text, Image 1: Musicians rehearse together during the Silkroad Ensemble Global Musicians Workshop. A wind player, two percussionists, Dr. Mei Han on Chinese zheng, and additional musicians collaborate in a rehearsal room.

Alt text, Image 2: More than 50 musicians and faculty from the Global Musicians Workshop gather for a group photo onstage, surrounded by instruments representing musical traditions from around the world.

08/25/2026

Welcome to a new academic year at MTSU! We’re kicking off the semester with some wonderful news and a very special reason to celebrate.

The Center for Chinese Music and Culture is thrilled to share that our Director, Dr. Mei Han, has been honored with the MTSU Outstanding Public Service Award for 2025–2026! This recognition celebrates Dr. Han’s decade-long commitment to using music and culture to build bridges, foster meaningful cultural exchange, and bring people and communities together. Through her work, she has enriched the MTSU community and its alumni, strengthened connections across the greater Middle Tennessee region, and extended MTSU’s cultural and professional impact to communities across the nation and around the world.

What an inspiring way to begin a new academic year. Congratulations, Dr. Han, on this well-deserved honor!

07/27/2026

Parents and instrument lovers: mark your calendar for "Discover the Science and Culture through Musical Instruments," an open house event on Oct. 11th, 2026. This year, MTSU Center for Chinese Music and Culture will participate in the Tennessee STEAM Festival, a statewide event to provide students with hands-on learning experiences. More info will come in the fall.

Check out this video of celebrating 10 years of the CCMC’s community engagement through music and culture.

This March marks the 10th anniversary of the MTSU Center for Chines...

07/22/2026

We’re thrilled that the Harmony Chinese Ensemble will be performing at the 13th Knox Asian Festival on Sunday, August 30, 2026!

Comprised of professional Chinese musicians and alumni of the MTSU Chinese Ensemble, Harmony Chinese Ensemble is Tennessee’s first Chinese ensemble of its kind. We are incredibly proud to see our alumni continuing to use the Chinese musical skills they developed at MTSU to enrich and serve communities across the region.

Congratulations to the ensemble—we can’t wait to see you inspire audiences at this wonderful celebration of Asian culture! 🎶🎉

06/22/2026

"Ten Years of Gemstones and Good Fortune at MTSU: Mei Han and the Center for Chinese Music and Culture," an article about director Mei Han and the Center, just came out in the Music City Review. The writing is beautiful and really reflects what the Center is and our mission. Come to visit the Center or to follow us on our social media pages. https://chinesemusic.mtsu.edu/ and https://www.youtube.com//featured

05/15/2026

05/05/2026

Director Mei Han was invited to present a keynote address at the US-China Music Institute of Bard College Conservatory of Music and perform with a number of top zheng masters from China, and zheng artists in North America. The following piece was performed at the closing concert.

05/04/2026

Congratulations to Alana Greene, for her successful senior recital. She composed a number of works for the Chinese instruments and the combinations of the Chinese with the instruments from other cultures.

6 likes. "4/29/26 Alana Greene Senior Composition Recital"

04/25/2026

Congratulations to the MTSU Chinese Music Ensemble for performing its semester concert. After the Ensemble just performed a big concert to celebrate the Center's 10th anniversary in March, they used less than a month to learn a completely different concert repertoire. Kudos to everyone!

1 like. "MTSU Chinese Ensemble spring semester concert"