Triangle Asian-American Music Festival / Asia Society Education Fundraiser
Lisa Furukawa, Alice Tien, Jessie Chen, David Yang
09/09/06
 
The Triangle Asian American Music Festival last Sept. 9, 2006 brought together area musicians and music-lovers for an evening of diverse cross-cultural performances to benefit the Asia Society's International Education initiatives to help American and North Carolinian high schools provide students the knowledge, languages and skills they need about Asia to succeed in the interconnected world of the 21st Century.

UNC piano professor Mayron Tsong, adjunct piano professor Alice Tien, and professional violist Petra Berenyi anchored the program with strong classical pieces, while jazz pianist Pulsar Li, folk/pop pianist-singer Lisa Furukawa, and guitarist-singers Dan Tan and Sam Go performed impressive original works. Sudha Iyer and Nikhil Tikekar played Indian classical music on sitar and tabla drums, respectively. Renee Chou of WRAL-TV emceed the event, which filled up the venue at Durham's Broad Street Cafe. All of the musicians perform regularly around the Triangle, and we hope to make this an annual event!

Thanks go to event sponsors Ruggero Piano and Broad Street Cafe, and NAAAP sponsors GSK and State Farm. The event was organized by NAAAP-North Carolina under the direction of Music Festival director Lisa Furukawa. A copy of the Music Festival programme, including performer and emcee bios, can be downloaded here. Photos below courtesy of Dan Tan, Andrew Chin, and Hector Javier.


Emcee Renee Chou announces the start of the NAAAP-NC Music Fest
The Music Fest was a charity fundraiser for the Asia Society. Katie Niner descibes its International Education programs for North Carolina schools.
Dr. Mayron Tsong of UNC performs classical piano pieces
Violist Petra Berenyi performs with Alice Tien on piano
Event organizers: Hector Javier, Julia Yip, David Yang, Lisa Furukawa, Jessie Chen, Laura Liao
Folk/pop musician Lisa Furukawa sings selections from her English/Japanese CD albums
Duke's Pulsar Li, co-founder of Duke/UNC Battle of the Bands champion Pulsar Triyo, performs contemporary jazz piano
Classical Indian music entrances the crowd via Nikhil Tikekar on tamba and Sudha Iyer on sitar
Renee Chou, WRAL-TV anchor/reporter and AAJA-NC VP-Broadcasting, lends her talents as emcee
Sam Go on guitar performs his original songs, dedicated to fiancee Angela Soriano, NAAAP-NC Treasurer
Broad St. Cafe remained packed up to the last acts, which were performed by Music Fest Director Lisa Furukawa
Nikhil Tikekar performs percussion magic on the tabla (hand drums)
Alice Tien performed Chinese folk and western classical with Hungarian violist Petra Berenyi
NAAAP's young empresses: Judy Tseng (Past President), Laura Liao (incoming Secretary), Jessie Chen (incoming Vice President)
NAAAP volunteers man the registration table
Renee Chou interviews Sam Go
Lisa Furukawa signing copies of her CD, proceeds donated to Asia Society
Hector Javier (NAAAP-National VP of Chapter Operations) and Lisa Furukawa (NAAAP-NC Music Fest Director) chat with one the audience members
Music Fest volunteers: Renee Chou, David Yang, and NAAAP-NC Presidents Hector Javier (outgoing), Julia Yip (incoming)
Many of the audience stayed around for post-concert networking
AAJA-NC President Ellen Sung, NAAAP-NC Past President Judy Tseng, UNC Law Professor Andrew Chin
The audience of 70-plus people, including students from the NC School of Science and Math, filled up Broad St. Cafe
Dan Tan performs his original songs on guitar