From January 16 to 25, 2026, Tianjin Juilliard’s flagship event, Festival Connect returns for its fifth installment, a celebration of musical connections across cultures and time, centered on the intergenerational pedagogical legacy of German 20th-century master Paul Hindemith and renowned contemporary Chinese composer Ye Xiaogang. Every year, Festival Connect highlights a different 20th-century groundbreaking composer, tracing their legacy and influence on contemporary music.
This year’s festival includes a series of four performances: an opening concert featuring the Tianjin Juilliard Ensemble; two chamber concerts showcasing a diverse array of works; and a closing concert by the Tianjin Juilliard Orchestra under the direction of Chen Lin.
It is my great pleasure and honor to welcome you to the 2026 edition of Festival Connect, my first as director of this festival. This remarkable event is a celebration of musical connections across cultures and time – uniquely dedicated to exploring the relationship between the work of a major 20th-century composer and that of a contemporary Chinese composer. Such demonstrations of cultural continuity, while always interesting, are all the more valuable on today’s fracturing global landscape.
Niccolo D. Athens
The opening concert presents a dialogue of sound and influence, featuring Hindemith’s Septet and Viola Sonata, Ye Xiaogang’s Basong Cuo and Lamura Cuo, and Hindemith's Kammermusik No. 3. The chamber concerts delve deeper into the tapestry of musical connections, showcasing other works reflecting cultural exchange, including songs and chamber works by Tan Xiaolin—Hindemith's student and a pioneer of combining Chinese musical elements with 20th-century style—and a string quartet by Samuel Adler, a former student of Hindemith and mentor to both Ye Xiaogang and the festival director, Tianjin Juilliard’s composition faculty, Niccolo Athens. The closing concert brings the festival to a powerful conclusion with Ye Xiaogang’s evocative Twilight in Tibet, Hindemith’s Concerto for Woodwinds, Harp, and Orchestra, and the monumental Mathis der Maler Symphony, under the baton of renowned conductor, Chen Lin.
Tickets are available through the performance calendar.
Program Details
January 16, 2026 | 7:30pm, Tianjin Juilliard Concert Hall
Tianjin Juilliard Ensemble: Festival Connect Opening Concert
YE XIAOGANG Basong Cuo
HINDEMITH Septet for Winds
HINDEMITH Viola Sonata, Op. 11, No. 4
YE XIAOGANG Lamura Cuo for Violin and Chamber Orchestra
HINDEMITH Kammermusik No. 3
January 19, 2026 | 7pm, Tianjin Juilliard Recital Hall
Chamber Music Concert I
TAN XIAOLIN Romance for Viola and Harp
PAUL HINDEMITH Selections from 9 English Songs
TAN XIAOLIN Selected Songs
TAN XIAOLIN Duo for Violin and Violia
YE XIAOGANG Datura for Flute, Violin, Cello, and Piano
January 23, 2026 | 7pm, Tianjin Juilliard Recital Hall
Chamber Music Concert II
SAMUEL ADLER String Quartet No. 3
PAUL HINDEMITH String Quartet No. 7
YE XIAOGANG Piano Trio
PAUL HINDEMITH Sonata for Four Horns
PAUL HINDEMITH String Trio No. 1
January 25, 2026 | 3pm, Tianjin Juilliard Concert Hall
Closing Concert – Tianjin Juilliard Orchestra
Chen Lin, Conductor
PAUL HINDEMITH Concerto for Woodwinds, Harp, and Orchestra
YE XIAOGANG Twilight in Tibet
PAUL HINDEMITH Mathis der Maler Symphony