Chinese American producer Christopher Tin conducted his debut concert at Carnegie Hall in Manhattan on June 9, 2019. (Photo credit: Dan Wright Photography/DCINY Productions)
NEW YORK, June 11 (Xinhua) -- Music should be "the hammer that breaks down cultural barriers" in an age of rising populism and protectionism, Chinese American producer Christopher Tin, a two-time Grammy Award winner, has said.
California-born Tin conducted his debut concert at Carnegie Hall in Manhattan on Sunday. The event was presented by the Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY).
The DCINY composer-in-residence led a mass choir of singers performing his classical crossover album Calling All Dawns with a full orchestra.
"The message in all of my music, and this concert in particular, is one of the beauty of cultural and linguistic diversity," said Tin in an interview with Xinhua via email.
"The message is that despite our differences in language, culture, and skin color, we're still connected by common human experiences."
"The work that I performed, Calling All Dawns, is sung in twelve different languages: including Mandarin, Polish, Farsi, Hebrew, and more. All the songs relate to life, death, and rebirth," he added.
Chinese American producer Christopher Tin conducted his debut concert at Carnegie Hall in Manhattan on June 9, 2019. (Photo credit: Dan Wright Photography/DCINY Productions)
Growing up as a Chinese American gave him "a keen sensitivity to cultural awareness," Tin said, noting that living in a diverse state like California, and going to a diverse school like Stanford, "really solidified my desire to address cultural issues in my music."
"When we listen to other people's music, that leads to us listening to what other people have to say. And when we listen to what others say, that's when we start to understand each other better," he said.
Chinese American producer Christopher Tin conducted his debut concert at Carnegie Hall in Manhattan on June 9, 2019. (Photo credit: Dan Wright Photography/DCINY Productions)
Calling All Dawns, Tin's debut album, is a multi-lingual song cycle. The work received a Grammy in 2011 for Best Classical Crossover Album, Tin's second Grammy award.
Tin won his first Grammy for the song "Baba Yetu," originally written as the theme song for the video game "Civilization IV" and re-released for Calling All Dawns.
