Folk Music – Asian Arts NY

About Folk Music & Instruments

Folk music is a timeless voice of cultural identity, telling stories of daily life, nature, and spiritual beliefs. These melodies often accompany dance and festivals. Across Asia, many ethnic groups have their own folk instruments to enrich the diverse soundscape. Their rhythms capture both individual emotion and communal spirit.

At AANY, we honor these heritages through live performance, workshops, and educational outreach. AANY musicians blend traditional technique with traditional and modern concepts to connect with audiences of all ages.

Folk Instrument (Chinese 琵琶): Pipa

The pipa is a pear-shaped wooden instrument with 12 to 31 frets, making it one of China’s most popular instruments, with a history spanning nearly two thousand years. Derived instruments include the Japanese biwa, Korean bipa, and Vietnamese đàn tỳ bà. Likely introduced to China via Central Asia, Gandhara, and India along the Silk Road, the pipa evolved into its distinct form in China.

AANY featured artist: Jiangnan Liu

Jiangnan Liu is an amateur pipa enthusiast from China with over ten years of training under professional instructors. She has performed with the Chinese Traditional Orchestra at Sun Yat-sen University and Nanjing University. Currently, she volunteers with the AANY Eastern Music Ensemble, blending technical skill with a love for traditional Chinese music. Outside of music, Jiangnan is a Ph.D. student in Sociology at SUNY Albany, focusing on cultural sociology and migration studies. She also enjoys exploring the comparison between Chinese and Western music and Peking Opera performances.

Click picture to watch media interview

Folk Instrument: Sitar and Tabla (Indian sitāra):

1960s led to its incorporation into Western popular music, with bands like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and Metallica using the instrument in their tracks. The Tabla is a pair of hand drums from the Indian subcontinent, with its name derived from the Arabic word tabl, meaning drum. Since the 18th century, it has been the primary percussion instrument in Hindustani classical music and is commonly used in popular and folk music across India, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.

AANY featured artists: Veena and Devesh Chandra

Veena Chandra is an internationally renowned sitarist, composer, teacher, and choreographer. She founded the Dance and Music School of India in 1995. She is a faculty member at Skidmore College since 1990, and has also been an Artist Associate in Sitar at Williams College since 2014. Born in Dehra Doon, India, she was inspired by her father to pursue music, and studied under prominent figures like Shri Satish Chandra and Ustad Vilayat Khan.

Veena has been listed in the International Who’s Who since 1997. She has performed and taught for over 60 years, receiving multiple grants and awards, including grants from Arts Center of the Capital Region, Saratoga Art, NYSCA, New Music USA, NEA, and more. Veena’s performances span the U.S. and India, and she has collaborated with renowned musicians and dancers. Known for her skill in sitar, she is also celebrated for her ability to communicate the depth and beauty of Indian classical music to Western audiences. Her music is described as healing, clarifying, and soul-nourishing.

Devesh Chandra is a dynamic tabla artist who began learning the instrument at age three, inspired by his mother, renowned sitarist Veena Chandra. Immersed in Indian classical music from an early age, he later trained with legends Ustad Zakir Hussain and Ustad Vilayat Khan Saheb.

Known for his expressive style and cross-genre collaborations, Devesh has performed at major festivals including Wanderlust and the NY State Fair, and worked with artists from Indian classical, jazz, folk, and world music traditions. He is currently an Artist Associate at Williams College and an award-winning educator, with multiple honors from NYSCA and the NEA. Devesh continues to share Indian music through performance, teaching, and community engagement.

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Folk Instrument (Chinese 古琴): Guqin ( 7-string zither)

Guqin (7-string zither) was one of the most historical solo instrument dated back 3000 years ago. Endowed with cosmological and metaphysical significance and empowered to communicate the deepest feelings, this zither, beloved of sages and of Confucius, is the most prestigious instrument in China. Han Dynasty (206 B.C.-220 A.D.) writers state that the Guqin helped to cultivate character, understand morality, supplicate gods and demons, enhance life, and enrich learning.

AANY featured Artist: Wenruii Shi

Wenrui is a council member of the China Guqin Association. She holds dual bachelor's degrees in Music (Guqin Performance) and Chinese Language and Literature from East China Jiaotong University. As one of the first cohort of students, she earned her Master of Arts in Chinese Music and Culture from the Bard College Conservatory of Music in the United States. She currently serves as the Recruitment Coordinator and Guqin Instructor at the US-China Music Institute of Bard College. Wenrui was appointed as a National Guqin Examination Judge. In 2023 she received the Outstanding Instructor Award at the 4th Singapore Guqin Arts Festival “Southern Wind Cup” International Guqin Competition. Being the only Guqin player in the NY Capital Region. Wenrui joined the Eastern Music Ensemble in 2024. She has performed during the CCC Lunar New Year show in the Egg, CCC Peking Opera Mid-term show and Schenectady Kids festival.

Watch: Guqin Performance by Wenrui Shi

Western Instrument: Piano & Keyboard

The piano and other Western instruments play a key role in the AANY Eastern Ensemble. The piano’s versatility helps bridge the gap between various folk instruments, blending tunes and creating a harmonious effect within Eastern music.

AANY Featured Artist: Daisy Jungtzu-Lin

Daisy Jungtzu Lin is a pianist and piano teacher based in Albany, New York. She holds a bachelor’s degree in music performance from Shih Chien University in Taipei (1999) and a Master of Science in Music Education from the College of St. Rose (2012). Ms. Lin has taught music at the Academy of Holy Names, served as an adjunct professor at The College of Saint Rose, and is the director and instructor at O Muse Music Arts Academy. She also conducts the CCC Youth Orchestra. Named a Steinway & Sons Top Piano Teacher in 2021, Daisy frequently performs as a keyboardist and accompanist for local music and theater groups.

Folk Instrument: Gu Zheng (Chinese 古筝)

The Guzheng is ancestral to several other Asian zithers such as the Japanese koto, the Korean gayageum and ajaeng, Mongolian yatga, the Vietnamese đàn tranh, the Sundanese, and the Kazakhstan jetigen. Although equally historical, the Guzheng should not be confused with the guqin, a Chinese zither with seven strings played without moveable bridges. The modern guzheng commonly has 21, 25, or 26 strings, and is tuned in a major pentatonic scale. Guzheng players often wear a fingerpick made from materials such as plastic, resin, tortoiseshell, or ivory on one or both hands.

AANY featured artist: Liying Ye

Liying Ye is a multi-talented artist who began learning Guzheng as an adult and has since made it a passionate hobby. In addition to her work with Chinese Opera and water sleeve dance, she teaches Guzheng and helps students master the instrument. A dedicated contributor to the Capital Region's cultural scene, she performed at various events during the 2025 Lunar New Year representing the Chinese Community Center, including at schools, libraries, and the NY State Comptroller’s Office.

Guzheng performance by Liying Ye

Performance Gallery