Four stars

University of Indianapolis; Christel DeHaan Fine Arts Center; Nov. 9

The Asian programs at UIndy presented a fascinating collaborative lecture recital about Chinese culture, presented through music. Fang Huang, from Shanghai Normal University, presented the lecture, talking about different customs, stories and music from China. Musical accompaniment followed. Hong Liu, violin teacher at Shanghai Normal University, and Jacklyn Chan, piano professor at UIndy, played, and all the pieces contained aspects that so often make Chinese music distinct: use of glissandos, for example, and the frequent use of the pentatonic scale as a base for many works. Liu’s playing, while not always precise at times, featured a rich, full tone, and he and Chan were a good musical pairing. It was a shame that this lecture was as short as it was, as I found myself discovering all sorts of new and interesting things about Chinese music, culture and, also, Western music, and how both cultures have borrowed musical ideas and concepts from each other.