VOICES UNBOUND: A Benefit Concert Of New Chamber Works is Coming To Carnegie Hall

On Friday, October 2, 2026, at 8:00 PM, Voices Unbound: A Benefit Concert of New Chamber Works for Facta Non Verba will take place at Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall. Presented by the Meng Wang Music Academy in collaboration with the Paulus Hook Music Foundation, this extraordinary evening bridges contemporary classical creation with global humanitarian action, turning artistic expression into tangible hope for children across the globe. Under the artistic direction of acclaimed composer Meng Wang-faculty member at both the Manhattan School of Music and Mannes School of Music Pre-College divisions-the initiative champions emerging compositional talent while pioneering a visionary model of social impact through the arts.

The concert features an extraordinary roster of world-class performers, bringing together violinist Qianwen Shen of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, cellist Yi Qun Xu of the Juilliard Pre-College faculty, Young Concert Artists pianist Ying Li, Curtis Institute pianist Jiacheng Xiong, contemporary clarinetist Hector Noriega, award-winning flutist Guilherme Andreas, and Metropolitan Opera National Council Winner soprano Yvette Keong, and the University of Louisville Electro-Acoustic Ensemble-featuring Yunze Mu, Keegan Watts, and Myles Hayden performing on cutting-edge data-driven instruments.

Seamlessly navigating traditional acoustic chamber music, electronic media, and daring new sonic frontiers, the evening highlights masterworks such as ineo, an accordion solo by Prof. Reiko Füting, Dean of Academic Core and Head of Composition at the Manhattan School of Music, and Galactic Railroad, an electroacoustic composition by University of Louisville Prof. Yunze Mu. At the heart of the performance is the world premiere of nine new chamber works composed by an exceptionally gifted group of young talents: Ella Bao, Zoey Feng, Yunxuan Michael Li, Nick Leatherman, Jasper Luan, Austin Ma, Winston Qin, Charles Z. Wang, and Ciara Zhang. Their original compositions offer poignant, fresh perspectives on contemporary chamber music and human connection.

The emotional core of Voices Unbound was born out of a profound personal journey. Serving as both philanthropic liaison and featured composer, 16-year-old Ella Bao traveled to rural Madagascar to stay at École Fihavanana and a local orphanage, living alongside students and community members. In a village stripped of basic resources and internet, Ella witnessed children walking barefoot through muddy roads, bound by hardship yet radiant with an unyielding eagerness to learn. Before her departure, a farewell performance staged by the children deeply moved her, inspiring Ella and her fellow young composers to leverage their musical gifts to raise funds for school expansion-ensuring that more barefoot children can wear shoes and walk into real classrooms.