National Museum of Asian Art » Performances

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Shanghai Quartet

Seating is limited. Reserve your seat in advance to pick where you sit ($6 fee per seat). Join the standby line for remaining seats on the day of the concert, free of charge. Over the past forty-two years, the Shanghai Quartet has become one of the world’s foremost chamber ensembles. Their elegant style, impressive technique, and emotional breadth allow the group to move seamlessly between masterpieces of Western music, traditional Chinese folk music, and cutting-edge contemporary works. In their long history of championing new music, the quartet highlight works that juxtapose the traditions of Eastern and Western music. Formed at the Shanghai Conservatory in 1983, soon after the end of China’s harrowing Cultural Revolution, the group came to the United States to complete its studies and were based in the US for more than thirty-five years while touring throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. In September 2020, the Shanghai Quartet moved back to China to join the resident faculty of The Tianjin… Venue: Asian Art Museum, West Building. Event Location: Meyer Auditorium. Cost: Free. Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/shanghai-quartet-tickets-1977543413584?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: After Five. Performances. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Thursday, April 9, 2026, 7:30 PM – 9:00 PM.

Musicians from Marlboro III

Seating is limited. Reserve your seat in advance to pick where you sit ($6 fee per seat). Join the standby line for remaining seats on the day of the concert, free of charge. This season’s third Musicians from Marlboro ensemble showcases three outstanding, emerging singers performing vocal duets by Schumann, Britten, and Brahms, alongside a pair of Haydn’s most inviting piano trios. For 60 years, the Musicians from Marlboro touring program has brought memorable performances from Vermont’s legendary chamber music school and festival to national audiences. The program features: Haydn’s Piano Trio No. 41 in E-flat minor, Hob. XV:31 , Brahms’s Three Duets, Op. 20 , Britten’s Canticle II: Abraham and Isaac , Schumann’s Four Duets, Op. 78 , Haydn’s Piano Trio in C major, Hob. XV:27, Artists include soprano Bridget Esler, mezzo-soprano Chihiro Asano, tenor Patrick Bessenbacher, pianists Lydia Brown and Solomon Ge, violinist Oliver Neubauer, and cellist Judith Serkin. This performance is part of the Bill and Mary… Venue: Asian Art Museum, West Building. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meyer Auditorium. Cost: Free. Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/musicians-from-marlboro-iii-tickets-1977527540106?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: After Five. Performances. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Assisted listening devices. Wednesday, April 15, 2026, 7:30 PM – 9:00 PM.

Eid | Listening While Muslim

Learn how communities celebrate the end of Ramadan and the beginning of spring. Explore the holiday through a sonic journey with Listening While Muslim and sample coffee from a local vendor while gathering with friends. About Listening While Muslim Listening While Muslim (LWM) is a series of thematic listening parties produced and hosted by Asad Ali Jafri (aka DJ Ase Wonder) and Abdul-Rehman Malik. LWM is a sonic soul journey that crosses continents, languages, and genres, exploring music at the intersection of faith, culture, and politics. This carefully curated experience brings to life stories of solidarity, culture, and radical joy, featuring special guests and immersive musical explorations. Asad Ali Jafri (aka DJ Ase Wonder) is a cultural organizer, producer, and artist, and Executive Director of Kaleidoscope Dreams Foundation. He has over 20 years of experience as a DJ, curator, educator, and strategist, connecting artists and communities worldwide. Abdul-Rehman Malik is an award-winning… Venue: Asian Art Museum, West Building. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meyer Auditorium. Cost: Free. Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/listening-while-muslim-eid-tickets-1985867614493?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep_tld=true. Categories: Lectures & Discussions. Performances. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible. Saturday, April 18, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM.

CANCELLED - Traversées – Constantinople and Ablaye Cissoko

This event is cancelled and will be rescheduled for a future season. Join ensemble Constantinople and griot Ablaye Cissoko for an evening of musical storytelling that blends traditions from Iran, Senegal, and beyond. The kora and setar, traditional string instruments from two different cultures, meet with vocals, double bass, and percussion. In this collaboration, these traditions merge as though they had always existed side by side. Constantinople and Cissoko’s music has been heard over one hundred times in various festivals and halls around the world. About Constantinople Constantinople aims to anchor music in the heart of our community and encourage cross-cultural exchange among artists from around the world. Since its founding, the ensemble has promoted the creation of works that incorporate diverse musical traditions, drawing a range from medieval manuscripts to contemporary aesthetics, from Mediterranean Europe to Eastern traditions and New World Baroque. About Ablaye Cissoko Kimintang Mahamadou… Venue: Asian Art Museum, West Building. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meyer Auditorium. Cost: Free. Register in advance (recommended). Categories: Performances. After Five. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible. Thursday, April 30, 2026, 7:30 PM – 9:00 PM.

Stephanie Chou Performs with The Tong Man and The Curse of Quon Gwon

Experience two early Asian American–focused silent films with a live score by composer, saxophonist, and singer Stephanie Chou and her band. The Tong Man Sessue Hayakawa, the first Asian American actor to achieve fame in Hollywood, stars in this crime drama as a hit man for a Chinatown gang. His bosses order him to kill an opium smuggler impinging on their turf. The only problem is the smuggler is the father of the woman he loves. Hayakawa was known for his energetic, macho acting style, and his performance here doesn’t disappoint. Director: William Worthington. Country: United States. Released: 1919. Length: 58 min. Format: DCP. Silent with English intertitles. The Curse of Quon Gwon This romance is not only one of the earliest known Asian American films but also one of the few silent films made by a woman. In the film, a Chinese American family are put under a curse for becoming too “Westernized.” Director Marion Wong plays the film’s villainess, and the cast and crew feature Wong’s family and friends. … Venue: Asian Art Museum, West Building. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meyer Auditorium. Cost: Free. Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1985848724994?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Films. Performances. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Assisted listening devices. Sunday, May 3, 2026, 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM.