named programs · 5 · from sources
What they call their work
Chinese New Year Concert Series
Annual performances celebrating the Lunar New Year, featuring traditional Chinese music and dance, hosted at venues including the Interchurch Center and Queens Public Library.
Harmony and Compassion: Music in Buddhist Ritual
Online conference and concert series exploring Buddhist musical practices, hosted in collaboration with Bard College’s US-China Music Institute.
Mid-Autumn Festival Celebration
Cultural concert series titled "The Moonlight is Hometown" and similar themes, presented in partnership with Queens Public Library to celebrate the Moon Festival.
New York Chinese Instruments International Competition
Biannual international competition held in New York City for musicians of traditional Chinese instruments, organized by Melody of Dragon since at least 2015.
School Concert Program
Educational performances at public schools in NYC, including PS 42, PS 170, and PS 203, introducing students to traditional Chinese music through live demonstrations and concerts.
activities · 7 groups
What they do
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Traditional & Cultural Performing Arts 3 activities
- Collaborating with arts and educational organizations to promote Chinese culturePartners with institutions such as Midori & Friends, Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company, H. T. Chen Dancers, and Da Vinci Art Center to present concerts, design stage performances integrating music and technology, and deliver cultural programming in schools and museums, including events at the American Museum of Natural History and Queens Public Library.
- Delivering educational workshops and lecture-demonstrations on Chinese musicConducts school-based and public educational programs that integrate Chinese music and culture into curricula for students in grades 2–12, including lecture-demonstrations on the history of Chinese music, instrument construction, and comparisons between Chinese and Western musical traditions, delivered at institutions such as Columbia University, Queens College, and elementary schools across Long Island, Queens, Brooklyn, and Newark.
- Organizing international Chinese instruments competitionsPlans and hosts the annual New York Chinese Instruments International Competition in New York City, an event that showcases talent and promotes excellence in traditional Chinese music performance, with documented events from 2016 through 2019.
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Commissioning New Musical Works 1 activity
- Composing and premiering original works for Chinese instrumentsCreates and debuts new musical compositions that blend traditional Chinese music with contemporary and cross-genre elements, such as "Dream of Dun Huang" for flute and drum and "Mindful of Zen—flute with orchestra," commissioned by the New Jersey Middlesex County Cultural and Heritage Council.
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Performing Arts Archival Preservation 1 activity
- Documenting and preserving Chinese music traditionsSystematically records and archives major genres of Chinese music and the contributions of representative performers, with a focus on preserving knowledge from older generations of musicians.
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Classical and Chamber Music Performances 1 activity
- Presenting traditional and contemporary Chinese music performancesOrganizes and performs concerts featuring traditional Chinese music genres such as classical, court, folk, Silk & Bamboo, and Cantonese music, as well as contemporary compositions by composers like Tan Dun and Chen Yuan-Lin, in solo, duet, trio, and ensemble formats at major cultural venues including Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Smithsonian Museum.
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Music Education and Training Programs 1 activity
- Providing private music instruction and online teaching seriesOffers individualized private music lessons for all ages and skill levels in traditional Chinese instruments such as dizi and guqin, and has published a 100-episode online teaching series on dizi via YouKu to expand access to Chinese music education.
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Nonprofit Music Recording and Distribution 1 activity
- Recording and producing traditional and contemporary Chinese musicProduces and records albums and film soundtracks featuring traditional Chinese music, including collaborations with Hugo Record Company, ZDF Broadcasting, and composers such as Tan Dun, with recordings used in films like "Hero" and "The White Countess" and released on CD, cassette, and digital platforms.
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Uncategorized 1 activity
- Providing educational content on traditional Chinese instrumentsDevelops and shares instructional materials about the history, construction, and regional styles of traditional Chinese instruments such as the dizi and ruan, including their evolution from the Han dynasty to modern times and technical features like bamboo construction and reed membranes.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$102K
Contributions & grants$1K1%
Program service revenue$72K71%
Investment income$29K28%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$32K
Program expenses95%
Admin / overhead5%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$0
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineFacilities
balance sheet
Total assets$688K
Cash$688K
Investments$0
Liabilities$2K
Net assets$686K
Liquid reserves256.1 mo
3 years on record · 2021–2024 · YoY revenue -39.9%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
board members · 2
- Li Liu — Bookkeeper
- Tao Chen — Director
relationships · 38
Who they work with
- 7’s Arts Partner — Collaborates on Guqin teaching programs.
- American Museum of Natural History Partner — Co-hosted a workshop with the Da Vinci Art Center.
- Beijing University Partner — Liu Li has lectured and performed there by invitation.
- CBA Cultural and Art Center Partner — Sun Wei performed and taught Guzheng at the CBA Cultural and Art Center after arriving in the United States in 2016.
- China Institute in America Partner — Invited Liu Li to perform in their spring 1995 season and selected her music for an online exhibition in 2010.
- Chinese Music Ensemble of NY Network — Member organization affiliation
- Columbia University Partner — Hosted an educational session where Melody of Dragon presented on traditional Chinese music and poetry.
- Columbia University Partner — Liu Li has lectured and performed there by invitation.
- Confucius Institute at Pace University Partner — Co-sponsored a Hulusi recital concert at Pace University.
- Da Vinci Art Center Partner — Collaborated on hosting a workshop at the American Museum of Natural History.
- Fudan University Partner — Liu Li has lectured and performed there by invitation.
- Goethe Institute (Beijing branch) Partner — Liu Li has lectured and performed there by invitation.
- H. T. Chen Dancers Partner — Collaborative performance partner in US concerts
- Hugo Record Company Partner — Co-produced the "Liu Li Guqin Album" with Liu Li.
- Manhattan School of Music Partner — Hosted collaboration between Liu Li and its Chamber Orchestra through the New Music Consort.
- Merchant Ivory Partner — Produced the film "The White Countess" featuring Liu Li's guqin music.
- Midori & Friends Foundation Partner — Collaborated with Melody of Dragon to present educational concerts on Chinese music in New York City
- Midori & Friends foundation Partner — Collaborates with Melody of Dragon to develop Chinese music culture in schools.
- Midori’s Adventure Concert Series Partner — Collaborates on educational workshops in elementary schools across the New York and New Jersey area.
- Modern Works Partner — Collaborates with the Western music group Modern Works on performances.
- Music at Interchurch Center Partner — Co-sponsored Chinese New Year concerts at the Interchurch Center.
- Nai Ni Chen Dance Company Partner — Commissioned and premiered Chen Tao's composition "Dream of Dun Huang" in collaboration with Melody of Dragon.
- Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company Partner — Collaborative performance partner in US concerts
- New Music Consort of the Manhattan School of Music Partner — Collaborated with Liu Li in performances that received critical praise.
- New York InterChurch Center Partner — Sponsored the Chinese New Year Concert in which Melody of Dragon performed.
- Orchestra of St. Luke's Partner — Collaborated on a five-borough concert tour featuring works by Chen Yi.
- Queens College Partner — Liu Li has lectured and performed there by invitation.
- Queens Public Library Partner — Co-sponsored multiple concerts including the Moon Festival and National Immigrant Heritage Month events.
- Queens Public Library Partner — Organized the "Passing on the Torch through Music" concert where Melody of Dragon premiered a dizi duet.
- School of Columbia Partner — Sponsored a traditional Chinese music concert.
+ 8 more
strategies · 3
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Cross-Cultural Bridging Through Musical Fusionmethodology: cross-cultural_musical_integrationBy integrating traditional Chinese instruments with Western classical and contemporary genres, the organization promotes mutual cultural understanding because blended musical forms create shared aesthetic experiences that transcend cultural boundaries.
- Cultural Exchange Through Musical Performance and Educationmethodology: cultural_exchange_through_musicBy presenting performances and educational programs featuring traditional Chinese music and instruments, the organization fosters cross-cultural understanding between China and the United States because shared artistic experiences create accessible pathways for mutual appreciation and learning.
- Cultural Preservation Through Living Performance Traditionsmethodology: cultural_preservation_through_performanceBy actively performing, teaching, and transmitting traditional Chinese music within diaspora and global communities, the organization ensures cultural continuity because live artistic practice sustains relevance and authenticity across generations and geographies.