Jiaju Shen + Zong Li

Spiral Music presents acoustic music every Wednesday evening at the base of the Museum’s spiral staircase. Artists who specialize in music from the Himalayas and South Asia are invited to forge a connection between their music and the art in the galleries.

About the Musicians

Jiaju Shen is an award-winning musician and an expert in traditional Chinese music instrument performance. She is the founder of Gong Music, providing a dynamic platform to promote traditional Chinese music and develop modern elements in folk music to serve a diverse audience. An innovator in pipa revitalization, Jiaju brings elements of contemporary jazz, funk, and reggae to traditional Chinese music. She has performed at the Beijing Olympics, Shanghai EXPO Closing Ceremony, Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, United Nations, Metropolitan Museum, and Barclay’s Center.

Zong Li is a composer, electronic music artist, and instrumentalist. He holds master’s degrees from Shanghai Conservatory of Music and New York University. As a composer, he is involved in different music fields including classical, pop, rock, jazz, film scoring, and modern electronic music. His works have been been featured in Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, New York Fashion Week, Festival de Cannes, China’s Got Talent, The Voice of China, and Shanghai Expo. As an instrumentalist, Li has played for numerous recording sessions and live performances.