THE UNHEARD MELODY: Exhibition of Music in Chinese Paintings

North American Debut of a Song Dynasty Exhibition from the Comprehensive Collection of Ancient Chinese Paintings Opens in New York

Art builds a new bridge for U.S.–China cultural exchange

NEW YORK, Aug. 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- On the afternoon of August 5 local time, The Unheard Melody: Exhibition of Music in Chinese Paintings opened at the China Institute of America in New York City.

Co-presented by the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism, the China Institute of America, and Zhejiang University, the exhibition draws upon the musical imagery found in Song Dynasty (960–1279) paintings, inviting North American audiences to discover the sounds and stories embedded within these masterpieces. Among the guests attending the opening ceremony were Ma Xiaoxiao, Deputy Consul General of the Chinese Consulate General in New York; Lyu Weigang, Deputy Director General of the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism; Peter Walker, Co-Chair of the China Institute of America; Yu Jin, President of the China Institute of America; and Jeffrey Moser, Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of History of Art and Architecture at Brown University.

In his remarks, Deputy Consul General Ma Xiaoxiao noted that 2026 is a landmark year for the U.S.–China relationship, following the meeting of the two presidents in Beijing, where both sides reached important consensus on strengthening cultural ties. He expressed his hope that the exhibition would offer American audiences not only a deeper appreciation of China's traditional culture, but also a sense of the values — the longstanding Chinese ideals of harmony and the pursuit of a better life — that have long shaped it.

Lyu Weigang introduced the Comprehensive Collection of Ancient Chinese Paintings, a monumental national cultural initiative that was launched in Zhejiang Province in 2005. Over 17 years, the project partnered with 263 museums and cultural institutions worldwide to compile 12,405 individual artworks. The current exhibition, he explained, spotlights music-themed Song Dynasty paintings and uses music as a universal language to connect with the American public. Lyu noted the longstanding ties between Zhejiang and the United States and expressed his hope that the exhibition would become a new bridge for artistic exchange.

Peter Walker reflected on the China Institute of America's century-long dedication to cultural exchange between China and the U.S., expressing delight that the Institute could host this Song painting exhibition together with Zhejiang. He acknowledged that major American media outlets seldom cover the vast number of mutually beneficial cultural and personal connections between the two countries, but voiced his firm belief that such cultural ties remain among the strongest and most enduring bonds between nations — and that cooperation grounded in equality will ultimately define the U.S.–China relationship.

Jeffrey Moser, who contributed to the compilation of the Comprehensive Collection of Ancient Chinese Paintings, spoke highly of both the artistic significance of the collection and the rigorous scholarship underpinning it, noting that the project has made masterpieces of Chinese painting accessible to a far wider audience. The China Institute of America's mission is to foster exchange between China and America, he said, and this collaborative exhibition is the perfect way to commemorate and celebrate its centennial journey.

Where Brushwork Meets Music — Bridging East and West Through Art and Sound

The exhibition unfolds across three thematic sections: Harmony Through Music, Elegance and Refinement in Music, and Music in Common Life. From the stately ritual music depicted in Music Party, to the refined strains of the guqin in Listening to the Zither, to the lively street drumming captured in The Peddler, the show traces how music permeated every level of Song society — from court rituals and ceremonial performances to literati gatherings and everyday life. Through high-resolution digital reproductions, audiovisual installations, and interactive experiences featuring traditional Chinese instruments, visitors can tap figures in the paintings and hear the instruments spring to life, or lean close to a listening horn and let the sounds of strings, winds, and voices fill the air — an immersive encounter with how ancient paintings preserve the sounds and musical imagination of their time.

The exhibition also features contemporary works by young Zhejiang artists on the same themes, creating a dialogue with the Song masterpieces across centuries. Hands-on stations invite visitors to try their hand at Song-style tea whisking, flower arranging, and lacquer fan painting — a chance to feel the delicacy of traditional craftsmanship, savor the refined elegance of a Song-era tea ceremony, and experience the natural harmony of Chinese floral art.

In a lecture at the opening, Professor Miao Zhe, an editorial board member of the Comprehensive Collection of Ancient Chinese Paintings and a professor at Zhejiang University, explored how Southern Song paintings reached American collectors in the late 19th century, where they were grouped under the label "Hangzhou School" and prized as tranquil retreats from the anxieties of the industrial age.

The Unheard Melody: Exhibition of Music in Chinese Paintings opens to the public on August 6 and runs through August 27. Following its New York debut, another exhibition from the Comprehensive Collection of Ancient Chinese Paintings — Serene Mind Across the Seasons — will open in Montreal, Canada, on August 7, giving North American audiences another opportunity to experience the artistry of Song Dynasty painting.

SOURCE Zhejiang Provincial Department of Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism