Music knows no borders.

That was the message when SFCM hosted The Charm of Chinese Strings for a September 25 performance in the Barbro Osher Recital Hall of the Bowes Center.

The performance, which had a full audience of concert goers, featured four female Chinese folk music string musicians from the Central Conservatory of Music. The ensemble is one of the highest-caliber groups from China to visit the United States West Coast in nearly six years. The performers were Zhang Liumeng, Liu Xiaojing, Ma Yingjun and Cheng Haoru.

SFCM's Barbro Osher Recital Hall.

“Music has long served as a bridge of communication and understanding between the Chinese and American people,” said Consul General Zhang Jianmin from the Chinese Consulate General of the People's Republic of China in San Francisco, who helped organize the performance. “We seek to harness the power of music to preserve the shared cultural heritage of all humanity, and build a global network of dialogue and cooperation among civilizations.” The musicians were all in the United States as part of a delegation from China.

Ahead of the performance the ensemble members also invited any interested SFCM students to join in on a performance of the well-known Chinese folk song "Jasmine Flower," providing sheet music ahead of time. SFCM students may have heard the song in a different context before: Giacomo Puccini used it as a recurring theme for the title character in his final opera, Turandot.

“It's relationships like this that make for the education of our students, and the SFCM community so enriching,” said Dean and Chief Academic Officer at SFCM Jonas Wright. “We're grateful to the Central Conservatory for sharing the gift of music with us.”

At the conclusion of the concert the performers invited children in the audience to come on stage to explore and play with the instruments, several children chose to do so.

“Our goal is to promote the harmonious coexistence and mutual enrichment of diverse cultures and foster friendship, understanding, and goodwill between our two nations,”  Consul General Zhang Jianmin added.

For audience members and musicians this performance shows that when two seemingly different parts of the world come together in collaboration, the result is more than just music, but a symphony of unity.