Colorful Melody is a Chinese symphony concert presented annually in May by the Santa Clara-based California Youth Chinese Symphony (CYCS). It is Chinese classical music played by an orchestra of traditional Chinese instruments.
With the theme of Legends of the Times, the 2016 concert features a collection of songs by the critically acclaimed and award-winning Chinese composer Yuan Liu, who will also be appearing in the concert together with guest performers — conductor Christopher Chen and Chinese bamboo flute soloist Fei Yu from Suzhou of China.
Founded in 2007, CYCS comprises over a hundred youth members in the senior and junior orchestras. Under the leadership of conductor Jindong Cai and other teachers who are Chinese instrument music professionals, CYCS members have spent the past year learning and rehearsing many classical Chinese music masterpieces of Mr. Yuan Liu, including the beautiful dizi concerto Capriccio of Liu San Jie, the powerful and majestic symphonic poem Legend of Shadier, the exotic fantasy poetry Essence of Nanyang from the Marco Polo and Princess Bolu Khan series, the humorous and dynamic Train Toccata, and the classic Chinese music trio Moon Reflected In Er-quan by the mellow and soothing sound of erhu, guzheng and xiao.