The Chelsea Symphony Presents The Premiere of WORLD MAP At Merkin Hall

The Chelsea Symphony, in collaboration with composer Shuying Li, presents Li's World Map concertos, featuring members of the Four Corners Ensemble. These original pieces journey to different corners and regions around the world in their influence, highlighting the diverse backgrounds of each ensemble member.

This odyssey of music is a commentary on how we are all connected. Though distance may keep us physically apart, we remain intertwined by land, sea, and most importantly music, regardless of our human-made boarders.

To bookend the theme of connection, and exploration TCS Composer-in-Residence, Aaron Dai opens the evening with Amuse Bouche, a world premiere and closes with John Luther Adams's Become River driving the point home that we are all connected - whether that be through music, or bodies of water.

The starring composer, Shuying Li found her passion for music reignited in her undergraduate studies at The Hartt School. Her study abroad scholarship from The University of Shanghai afforded her the opportunity and a new-found permission to infuse feeling and internal energy into her work for the first time. More common to her studies in Shanghai, music was a source of isolation focusing more on technicalities and perfection. Through this freedom to create from the heart and soul, Li founded The Four Corners Ensemble as vehicle, and outlet for her ever exploding creative brilliance.

"Music has the innate power to promote cultural diversity by connecting people through universally human passions and values." says Li.

Four Corners Ensemble is comprised of founder Shuyling Li, Erika Boysen (flute), Ayako Oshima (clarinet), Christina Adams (violin), Juliette Herlin (cello), and Mi-Eun Kim (piano). The event will showcase an array of conductors including The Chelsea Symphony's Artistic directors Matthew Aubin and Mark Seto and staff conductors Reuben Blundell and Nell Flanders.

The Four Corners Ensemble was founded to promote contemporary classical music and cultural diversity. With members originally from different countries and cultural backgrounds, 4CE is dedicated to the mission of cultivating diversity and international collaboration by creating and performing contemporary music with musicians from different cultures, exploring new compositions, and bringing high-quality concert experiences to a variety of communities around the globe.

World Map showcases original concertos by Shuying Li as played by The Four Corners Ensemble; proudly presented by The Chelsea Symphony at Merkin Concert Hall, Kaufman Music Center at 129 West 67th Street, NYC on Friday, May 26th at 8pm.

For tickets to World Map on Friday, May 26th at 8pm please visit https://bit.ly/3LJMZrl.

The Chelsea Symphony aims to radically democratize the concert experience and create opportunities for shared discovery through socially engaged programming, unique professional support for musicians, and a welcoming, accessible, and inclusive environment for all audiences.