Sound of Dragon Ensemble 龍吟滄海樂團

“a unified yet exotic sound” – Georgia Straight, 2017

“A showcase for the exciting, diverse directions being taken by both local and global composers and players working in the Chinese and western musical traditions” – Vancouver Sun

The Sound of Dragon Ensemble was formed in 2015 in Vancouver to create a platform for musical exchange between the East and the West: pairing wind instruments – flute and dizi; plucked strings – guitar, ruan, and zheng; bowed strings – erhu, violin, and cello; completed with percussion instruments from around the globe. The ensemble is dedicated to creating/presenting new works for the combination of Chinese and western instruments to the world stage.

The Sound of Dragon Ensemble is especially interested in the contemporary development of “Canadian Chinese music”, cultivated in our multicultural environment. The ensemble’s repertoire represents original Canadian intercultural art music and breaks down genre boundaries, crossing over Chinese traditions, contemporary music, world fusion, and improvisation.

The ensemble has commissioned/premiered/performed music by Canadian composers of diverse backgrounds: Edward Top, Mark Armanini, Tim Brady, Dorothy Chang, Jordan Nobles, Farshid Samandari, Alice Ho, Itamar Erez, Moshe Denburg, Lan Tung, John Oliver, Elizabeth Knudson, Adam Hill, Nova Pon, Ali Razmi, Tony Leung, and Bruce Bai. The ensemble has commissioned/premiered music by Taiwanese composers Chihchun Chi-sun Lee, Peifen Huang, and Yuan Chen Li; Italian composer Marco Bindi; Chinese composer Xiaoran Jiang; US composer Sam Mikulewicz; and UK composer Simon Le Boggit.

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If you are interested in composing music for the Sound of Dragon Ensemble, please contact us.
作曲家們若有意為本團創作新曲，歡迎聯絡我們。

The Sound of Dragon Ensemble collaborated with Melody of China in San Francisco and Vancouver, marking the first time two professional ensembles of Chinese roots from across the US/Canada border have come to work together. The Sound of Dragon Ensemble has appeared at the 2019 San Francisco International Arts Festival, 2019 Ding Yi Chinese Chamber Music Festival and 2024 concert at Stamford Arts Centre in Singapore, 2019 and 2025 China tours to Gulangyu Concert Hall, Fujian Grand Theatre, Ping Ding Shan Cultural Centre…etc. The ensemble is a strong voice of contemporary cross-cultural music with enthusiastic support from the music community and the audiences.

In addition, the ensemble gives educational workshops to composers interested in writing for its instruments and holds reading sessions of new works. The ensemble promotes the awareness/appreciation of Canadian intercultural music-making rooted in ongoing collaboration between artists from distinct cultures/traditions.

Past Projects:
CONSENSUS (2017): featuring choreographer/dancer Dong Mei 冬梅
Sound of Dragon Ensemble & Toronto Chinese Orchestra Chamber Players 多倫多室內中樂團(2018), featuring Hoi Seng Ieong 楊海城
Sound of Dragon Ensemble & Melody of China (Sa Francisco) 舊金山漢聲樂團 (2019)
Rising Dragon, Soaring Merlion (2023 Vancouver, 2024 Singapore): collaboration with Ding Yi Music Company 新加坡鼎藝團
The Living World (2025): premiered music by Edward Top, Chihchun Lee, Elizabeth Knudson, and Tim Brady, with media artist Li Tung (2025)
Encounter: Taiwan, Toronto, Vancouver (2026): collaboration with Little Giant Chinese Chamber Orchestra 小巨人絲竹樂團 and PhoeNX Ensemble 鳳鳴九皋樂集

龍吟滄海樂團於2015年成立，集結了大溫地區一群技巧精湛的音樂家，共同探索跨文化的音樂領域，並提供作曲家、演奏家們創意實現的平台，成為溫哥華東西方音樂文化交會的新星。龍吟滄海樂團延續絲竹樂的傳統，以弓弦、彈撥、吹管、打擊樂器組成，但涵蓋了東、西方樂器，包括二胡、小提琴、大提琴、阮、吉他、古箏、​竹笛、長笛、世界各地的打擊樂器。溫哥華喬治亞週報形容龍吟滄海樂團的音樂，既有融合一致的整體性，又有文化碰撞帶來的異域風情。

龍吟滄海樂團隸屬於龍吟滄海協會，秉持著「承襲傳統、追求創新」的理念，積極委託並發表當代作品，目前樂團的保留曲目有加拿大、台灣、中國、美國、義大利、英國作曲家的創作。其中加拿大的作曲家來自不同族裔，包括台灣、香港、中國、波斯、猶太、荷蘭、德國、義大利等。因此樂團曲目風格多樣，涵蓋傳統絲竹、現代作品、世界音樂、即興演奏等。

龍吟滄海樂團的另一個使命，在促進溫哥華與加拿大其他城市，以及國外音樂團體的交流。曾與台灣小巨人絲竹樂團(2018/2026年)、多倫多室內中樂團(2018年)、舊金山漢聲樂團(2019年)、新加坡鼎藝團(2023/2024​)合作演出。在國際舞台上的出演，包括舊金山國際藝術節、2019年秋季亞洲巡迴至新加坡及多個中國城市、2025年秋季中國福建多個城市巡演。

龍吟滄海協會於2013年登記為加拿大BC省的非謀利音樂機構，透過舉辦音樂節、音樂會、工作坊、講座等活動，宣揚及保存華裔移民原生地的傳統音樂，同時鼓勵不同族裔的音樂家交流合作，創新發展融合東西方特點的新樂種，打破民族、地域、音樂類別的界限， 重新定義加拿大特色的華裔音樂，展現溫哥華音樂圈的多元與活力。

top banner photographer: Diane Smithers