This book is a welcome and significant contribution to the sparse literature in English on the modern Chinese orchestra, an ensemble invented as part of Chinas turbulent move to modernize in the early 20th century. Ming-yen Lee introduces the genres vital history and ambitiously follows its divergent developments in China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, paying particular attention to how these unique cultural/political environments shaped repertoire creation in each region.
Nancy Guy, Chiu-Shan and Rufina Chen Chancellors Endowed Chair in Taiwan Studies and Professor of Music, University of California, San Diego, USA
Transnational studies, especially in the performing arts, literature, and history, is a growing field, and Ming-yen Lees groundbreaking study will make an invaluable contribution to the field from the perspective of Chinese music. It encapsulates Chinese orchestra across Hong Kong, Taiwan, and mainland China in one single study, which has never been accomplished before.
Wah Guan Lim, National Chung Hsing University, Taiwan; author of Denationalizing Identities: The Politics of Performance in the Chinese Diaspora
A well-grounded study that offers a valuable historical and cultural analysis of Chinese orchestras across Greater China. Supported by the authors long-standing expertise, this book provides insight into how orchestral institutions evolve within shifting socio-political context.
Mengyu Luo, Associate Professor, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, China
