Join us for our fifth annual celebration of the Silk Road, inspired by the diverse cultures connected through the ancient trade route. Enjoy artmaking activities, hear music fusing Chinese and Central Asian traditions, and make discoveries in our interactive space Crossroads: Exploring the Silk Road Gallery. Presented in collaboration with the Southern California Children’s Museum. 

Art-making activities will be from 11 am - 3:30 pm, and music performance begins at 1 pm. Free admission and parking all day.

Performance Description

Presented as part of the annual Silk Road Day at the USC Pacific Asia Museum, Silk Road Musical Encounters explores the historical and cultural exchange between East and West through music shaped by centuries of interaction along the Silk Road.

The program centers on the pipa, a four-stringed Chinese lute whose origins trace to Central and West Asia and which entered China through Silk Road trade during the Han and Tang dynasties. Over time, the instrument absorbed musical modes, techniques, and expressive aesthetics from multiple regions, reflecting broader patterns of commerce, diplomacy, and cultural exchange.

The program features a Chinese vocal selection inspired by Middle Asian frontier regions, presented in Mandarin with contextual translation, alongside virtuosic pipa solo works that highlight the instrument’s technical brilliance and its role in synthesizing Chinese and Central Asian musical traditions. Together, the vocal and instrumental selections illustrate how the Silk Road functioned not only as a network of trade, but as a conduit for artistic transformation whose influence continues to resonate today.

Performer Biographies

Shirley Wang (XiaoLing Wang) – Dramatic Soprano

Shirley Wang is a dramatic soprano, pianist, and educator whose work bridges Western operatic tradition with East Asian musical heritage. Known for her commanding vocal presence and narrative-driven performances, she has appeared in over 200 storytelling-based concerts across the United States, presenting repertoire that spans opera, art song, and culturally integrated programs. Trained at USC and represented by artist manager George Martynuk, Wang brings scholarly depth and emotional immediacy to her performances. As founder of Brillante Music Institute, she is deeply committed to cultural exchange, education, and creating accessible pathways between musical traditions. Her Silk Road–inspired programs explore themes of migration, longing, and identity, pairing operatic voice with traditional instruments to illuminate shared human stories across time and geography. Wang is also an active educator and keynote concert artist, using music as a medium for connection, healing, and cross-cultural dialogue.

Celia Liu (Yu Liu) – Pipa

Celia Liu (Yu Liu) is an internationally acclaimed pipa virtuoso whose career spans concert performance, orchestral collaboration, and film and media recording. A graduate of the Central Conservatory of Music, she was a member of the China National Traditional Orchestra and has appeared frequently at Beijing Concert Hall and on CCTV, representing China at international arts festivals in Germany and Singapore. Since relocating to the United States in 1991, Liu has recorded for major studios including Warner Bros., Disney, Nickelodeon, and Universal, with credits ranging from television and film to video games such as League of Legends. She has performed at the Walt Disney Concert Hall and the Hollywood Bowl, collaborated with symphony orchestras internationally, and remains a leading ambassador of the pipa on the global stage.

This program is open to all eligible individuals. USC operates all of its programs and activities consistent with the university’s Notice of Non-Discrimination. Eligibility is not determined based on race, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation or any other prohibited factor.