NEW YORK. As many as 30 families, ranging from young children to the elderly, were seen enjoying a traditional Chinese music workshop at the East Meet West-Chinese Instrument Workshop, part of the community kids concert series at The Church in the Garden, Forest Hills, Queens. "This is a musical instrument called the Pipa, which has a history of over 2000 years," explained Yang Jin, Director of the Flying Strings Youth Ensemble, who, along with the group's students, conducted an engaging and interactive workshop introducing traditional Chinese musical instruments.
The community workshop and performance last weekend were part of a year-long series of community music performances organized by Musica Reginae Production (MRP), a non-profit organization focused on community music performances in the Queens area. "Musica Reginae Productions (MRP) was established in 2000 to increase the accessibility of classical music for the inhabitants of Queens in their local area and thereby foster community unity and the audience for classical music in Queens," explained Barbara Podgurski, Executive and Artistic Director of Musica Reginae.
Since its inaugural free concert in June 2000 at the rededication of the Forest Park Bandshell, Musica Reginae has showcased over 275 professional performances, including free and ticketed events co-hosted with other Queens cultural organizations, at Flushing Town Hall, Queens Botanical Garden, The Church-in-the-Gardens, and various other locations in Queens. “Another important goal is to expose school-aged children to classical music as a unique live experience in public venues where they can interact with the artists and instruments, as well as create music alongside family and friends,” added Podgurski who also performed on piano with the youth ensemble.
“We brought some of our New Jersey members to Forest Hills to give children and residents alike a glimpse into not only Chinese culture and music, but more so how western and eastern cultures can merge to create an experience that is special and unique. In our evening concert, we showcased music from a variety of places; traditional Chinese to European to South America, all with distinct styles,” said Yang Jin who is a Pipa Faculty of The US‑China Music Institute Bard College Conservatory of Music. She is also a President of the Chinese Musicians Association of North America. “For those who want to connect with us, they can visit our primary social media platform on instagram @flying_strings_ye,” added Jin.
Following a one-hour afternoon workshop, that evening Yang Jin and the young musicians performed in a special concert by the Flying String Youth Ensemble, featuring special guests who played a variety of Chinese and Western instruments: ruan, guzheng, erhu, double bass, piano, violin, viola, clarinet, flute, guitar, cello, and handpan.
In the new 2026–2027 program, Musica Reginae has prepared initiatives for the community. “FY27 marks our 27th season. This season’s new activities will focus on expanded coaching and performance opportunities provided to children through our newly established complimentary youth ensemble program, the Musica Reginae Youth Chamber Ensemble (MRYCE), which is performed by children from Forest Hills, Kew Gardens, and neighboring areas in Queens,” explained Podgurski enthusiastically. The Musica Reginae program is supported by NYC Cultural Affairs and the New York State Council on the Arts. For more information is available on the website: musicareginae.org