“The pipa lines, played by Sun Li, were virtuosic and colorful” —The New York Times

“[Tine Kindermann’s recording is] One of the best collections of songs I’ve heard in a long time.” —Iggy Pop

Flushing Town Hall’s Mini-Global Mashup series continues with its upcoming performance on September 17 of “China Meets Germany.” Renowned composer and violinist Jason Hwang, globe-trotting pipa player Sun Li, Klezmer trumpeter and composer Frank London, and folk singer Tine Kindermann will take center stage for a unique mashup concert, embracing their respective Chinese and German cultures in the World’s Borough.

Curated by acclaimed trumpeter and composer Frank London (The Klezmatics), the Mini-Global Mashup series brings two amazing global music artists together, along with accompanists, for an afternoon of music, conversation, and exploration. 

“Flushing Town Hall is elated to bring these world-class performers to our stage for our Mini-Global Mashup Series. The mystical sounds of Jason Kao Hwang and Sun Li alongside the euphonious voice of Tine Kindermann will most certainly delight audiences,” said Ellen Kodadek, Executive and Artistic Director of Flushing Town Hall. “This harmonious blend of different sounds and cultures celebrates the diversity and artistry we have right here in Queens.”

The work of Jason Kao Hwang (composer/violin/viola) draws from his journey growing up in the United States with Chinese immigrant parents. Hwang did not learn Chinese from his immigrant parents, only English. When his parents spoke in Chinese to each other, he would listen intently to find meaning in the rhythm of their speech — deeply influencing his musical sound today. His most recent releases, “Book of Stories,” “Uncharted Faith,” and “The Human Rites Trio,” have received critical acclaim, being voted No. 1 by El Intruso International Critics Poll for violin/viola, and as Rising Star for Violin by the 2012 Downbeat Critics’ Poll. He has worked alongside William Parker, Anthony Braxton, Butch Morris, Reggie Workman, Pauline Oliveros, Steve Swell, Taylor Ho Bynum, Tomeka Reid, Patrick Brennan, Will Connell, Jr., Zen Matsuura, Oliver Lake, and Jerome Cooper, among others. He is also a recipient of a 2023 New Jersey State Council on the Arts fellowship.

He will be joined by renowned pipa player Sun Li — who started learning to play at age of nine. She attended Shenyang Music Conservatory where she studied the Chinese pipa and zhongruan, both stringed instruments akin to the western guitar. In 1995, she was granted the Excellence in Performance award in the Beijing “Freedom Cup” International Chinese Traditional Instrument Competition and participated in concerts for the Fourth World Conference on Women. She performed as part of the Welcoming Concert for former U.S. President Bill Clinton during his visit to Beijing in 1998. Li has performed with Music from China, a New York-based Chinese music ensemble, at numerous educational and cultural institutions since 2002, and has received critical acclaim ever since.

Klezmer trumpeter and composer Frank London is a member of the Klezmatics and Hasidic New Wave, and he has performed with a wide variety of notable artists and bands including John Zorn, LL Cool J, Mel Torme, Lester Bowieπs Brass Fantasy, LaMonte Young, They Might Be Giants, David Byrne, Jane Siberry, Ben Folds 5, Mark Ribot, Maurice El Medioni and Gal Costa. He is featured on over 100 CDs. London’s own recordings include “Invocations” (cantorial music); Frank London’s Klezmer Brass Allstars’ “Di Shikere Kapelye” and “Brotherhood of Brass;” “Nigunim” and “The Zmiros Project” (Jewish mystical songs, with Klezmatics vocalist Lorin Sklamberg); “The Debt” (film and theater music); “The Shekhina Big Band;” the soundtracks to “The Shvitz” and to Perl Gluck’s “The Divahn;” as well as four releases with the Hasidic New Wave. London served as music director for David Byrne and Robert Wilson’s “The Knee Plays.” He has collaborated with Palestinian violinist Simon Shaheen, taught Jewish music in Canada, Crimea and the Catskills, and produced CD’s for Gypsy legend Esma Redzepova and Algerian Pianist Maurice el Medioni. He has been featured on HBO’s Sex and the City, at the North Sea Jazz Festival and the Lincoln Center Summer Festival, and was a co-founder of Les Miserables Brass Band and the Klezmer Conservatory Band.

Berlin-born singer, musical saw player, and visual artist Tine Kindermann has lived and worked in New York City since 1993. Her recording of traditional German folk songs, “schamlos schön,” (“shamelessly beautiful”) was released by Oriente Musik OHG, features renowned artists Marc Ribot, Lorin Sklamberg, Greg Cohen, and was produced by Frank London. It was nominated for the German World Music Award and has received praise from names including Roland Altenburger and Iggy Pop. Kindermann and John Kruth founded Villa Delirium, a New York-based quintet playing mostly original new folk music, which includes Doug Wieselman, Kenny Margolis and Steven Bear. As a visual artist she works in various media, which includes miniature tableaux and dioramas, video, and painting. Her work has been exhibited at Stephen Romano Gallery, the Governors Island Art Fair, RePop, Mark Miller Gallery, Equity Gallery and other galleries in New York City, as well as Neurotitan Gallery and Gallery Kurt im Hirsch in Berlin.

For a sneak peak, listen to Jason Hwang’s Book of Stories and watch Tine Kindermann perform at New York University’s Deutsches Haus.

Tickets to the show are $15 General Admission/ $12 Members, Seniors, & Students w/ID.

For the venue’s Fall 2023 schedule, visit https://www.flushingtownhall.org/fth-presents

For those unable to attend events in person, Flushing Town Hall has launched Culture Stream. Subscriptions start at $5 per month.

COVID Policy: 

Flushing Town Hall no longer requires visitors or performers to show proof of vaccination against COVID-19; wearing a mask is optional but recommended. For more details, please visit www.flushingtownhall.org/covid-safety

Support Global Arts with a Gift Today!

All gifts of $50 or more give you exclusive Flushing Town Hall Circle of Friends membership with benefits including a Smithsonian membership, ticket discounts, and more! Donations in any amount are appreciated to support the artists and the nonprofit cultural organization as they continue to provide programming and entertainment across New York and the world. https://www.flushingtownhall.org/circle-of-friends

Flushing Town Hall is a not for profit organization and receives major support in 2023 from the National Endowment for the Arts; New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature; New York State Assembly Member Ron Kim; The City of New York, Mayor Eric Adams; New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, Commissioner Laurie Cumbo; Queens Borough President Donovan Richards; The New York City Council, Speaker Adrienne E. Adams and New York City Council Members Sandra Ung, Tiffany Caban, Shekar Krishnan, Linda Lee, Vickie Paladino, Lynn Schulman, and Jessica Won; Howard Gilman Foundation, Booth Ferris Foundation, Guru Krupa Foundation, Fan Fox and Leslie R. Samuels Foundation.

To view current donor lists, please visit www.flushingtownhall.org/donor-listings

About Flushing Town Hall

Flushing Town Hall (FTH), a Smithsonian affiliate, presents multi-disciplinary global arts that engage and educate the global communities of Queens and New York City in order to foster mutual appreciation. As advocates of arts equity since 1979, we support local, immigrant, national, and international artists, developing partnerships and collaborations that enhance our efforts. As a member of New York City’s Cultural Institutions Group (CIG), we serve to restore, manage and program the historic 1862 landmark on behalf of the City of New York. FTH celebrates the history of Queens as the home of Jazz, by presenting the finest in Jazz performance. We are committed to arts education and hands-on learning, for the arts-curious, arts enthusiasts, and professional artists. We serve one of the most diverse communities in the world and strive to uphold the legacy of inclusiveness that has defined our community since the Flushing Remonstrance of 1657.

Flushing Town Hall is a proud member of the Cultural Institutions Group (CIG), a collective of 34 nonprofit museums, performing arts centers, historical societies, zoos, and botanical gardens across all five boroughs with a distinct private-public partnership with the City of New York and a commitment to serving all New Yorkers.

Land Acknowledgement:

Flushing Town Hall acknowledges that we are on the traditional land of the Matinecock People, one of the original tribes of New York, and the first people of Flushing, Queens. The Matinecock continue to live and work on this land to this day. Flushing Town Hall honors their elders who have stewarded this land throughout generations.