Qian Li

Qian will compose a cross-cultural music performance drawing upon two percussive instruments—the Indonesian gamelan and the Japanese taiko—blended with his background in Western classical music. Qian’s goals are to provide a connection between conventionally exclusive communities, facilitate discussion, and challenge norms about Asian immigrant identity in the United States. Through a hands-on workshop after the performance, Qian hopes to engage with the audience and performers to plant seeds for future exploration and alliances within the Asian American community in Philadelphia and champion the idea that human beings are more similar than dissimilar.