Founded Spring 2026, growing our roster for Fall 2026

Ancient Music.
New Chapter.

中国音乐乐团

USC's Chinese traditional music ensemble is back, blending ancient instruments with contemporary energy. We're looking for musicians and members to build our next chapter, and we bring that same sound to student films and recording sessions along the way.

Join the Ensemble → Filmmakers, work with us
Play something that
can't be synthesized.

All skill levels welcome. No audition needed. We play 新民乐: traditional Chinese instruments fused with pop, rock, electronic, and more.

  • All Chinese instruments welcome, and many more
  • Cellists, double bassists, percussionists encouraged
  • Founded Spring 2026, growing for Fall 2026
  • Open to students, faculty & alumni
Express interest →
Your score called.
It wants a guzheng.

We also offer our services to screen scorers and filmmakers who want authentic Chinese instrumentation in their work.

  • Recording sessions for shorts, thesis projects & student films
  • Collaboration with screen scoring students
  • Consultation on authentic Chinese musical elements
See what we offer →

Instruments We Play

All Chinese Instruments Welcome

From ancient to unconventional. If it belongs to the Chinese music tradition, it belongs here.

古筝
Guzheng
Zither with 21 strings. Sweeping glissandos that can fill a concert hall or anchor a film score.
String
二胡
Erhu
A spike fiddle with two strings. Sings like a human voice, from deep sorrow to soaring elation.
Bowed
琵琶
Pipa
A lute shaped like a pear, with sharp percussive attack. Built for virtuosic solos and battle narratives.
String
笛子
Dizi
Bright, buzzing bamboo flute. The paper membrane gives it a tone unlike anything in the Western tradition.
Wind
箫
Xiao
A vertical bamboo flute, breathy and meditative. The quiet counterpart to the dizi.
Wind
唢呐
Suona
A piercing double reed horn that can fill a courtyard. Festive, irreverent, impossible to ignore.
Wind
中／大阮
Zhongruan · Daruan
Lutes in the mid and bass registers. The harmonic backbone, mellow and round.
String
笙
Sheng
A mouth organ built from free reeds, one of the world's oldest polyphonic instruments. Rich and harmonically surprising.
Wind
扬琴
Yangqin
Hammered dulcimer with a sparkling shimmer that recalls a piano. Lights up the upper register of any arrangement.
Percussion
打击乐
Percussion
Drum set, hand drums, gongs, and woodblocks. The rhythmic engine of the ensemble.
Percussion
Also especially encouraged to join: Cellists · Double Bassists · Percussionists. Don't see your instrument? Reach out anyway. If you can make it work with Chinese music, we want to hear it.

Hear Us Play

Don't Take Our Word for It

Every performance here is the ensemble as it stands today, recorded since our revival. The last video in the grid is our collaboration with saxophonist Collin Juniper at his senior recital.

Featured Performance
Empresses in the Palace 《凤凰于飞》
Our rendition of the ending theme from the acclaimed drama Empresses in the Palace, arranged for the full ensemble.
Watch on YouTube →
Erhu × Keyboard
When Will You Return 《何日君再來》
A classic reimagined as an erhu and keyboard duet, tender and unhurried.
Erhu × Yangqin
The Sound of Falling Snow 《雪落下的聲音》
A quiet winter duet between erhu and yangqin.
Erhu × Yangqin
The Sound of Falling Snow 《雪落下的聲音》
The same piece, performed again for a different audience.
Yangqin Solo
Night Painting of Yao Mountain 《瑤山夜畫》
A yangqin solo, sparkling and atmospheric.
Guzheng × Violin × Vocals
Zhu Yu 《珠玉》
Guzheng, violin, and vocals together in one arrangement.
Live · Recital
Whip the Horse to Transport Grain 《揚鞭催馬運糧忙》
Our collaboration with saxophonist Collin Juniper at his senior recital.
▶ More on our YouTube channel

Our Story

Rooted in Legacy,
Ready for What's Next

USC Chinese Music Ensemble is a revival of Eastern Chamber, an innovative Chinese folk band that fused traditional instruments with pop, rock, rap, electronic, and opera. The club wound down, but the music didn't have to.

We're in our founding stage: setting rehearsal times, finding our space, and building the team. Whether you've played for fifteen years or just want to try a guzheng for the first time, you're exactly who we're looking for.

Previously Known As
Eastern Chamber
东方室内乐队
An innovative Chinese folk band at USC, blending erhu, pipa, guzheng, bamboo flute, suona, guqin, and drum set with pop, rock, rap, electronic, and opera influences.
↓ Reborn as
USC Chinese Music Ensemble
中国音乐乐团
Open to all · students, faculty & alumni · No audition or experience required · All Chinese instruments welcome

For Filmmakers & Composers

Your Score Called.
We Answer.

USC's film and screen scoring programs produce hundreds of shorts and original works every year. Real Chinese instruments cut through in a way synthesis simply can't.

01
Recording Sessions
Live sessions for short films, thesis projects, and student productions. Authentic instruments, real musicians, recorded at USC.
02
Compositional Collaboration
Work with our players to develop original compositions for your score. We bring the knowledge of the instruments; you bring the vision.
03
Consultation
Not sure how to incorporate Chinese musical elements authentically? We can advise at any stage of your production.
Reach out with your project →

Available Instruments

古筝
Guzheng
Zither
二胡
Erhu
Spike Fiddle
琵琶
Pipa
Lute
笛子
Dizi
Bamboo Flute
扬琴
Yangqin
Hammered Dulcimer

+ Sheng, Zhongruan, Daruan, and more

Please Note

Instrument availability is limited and offered on a first come, first served basis, so reach out early to confirm what we can bring to your session.

On Instagram

Follow the Revival

The feed below updates automatically with our newest posts: rehearsal announcements, performance clips, and everything in between.

First to know
Fall 2026 rehearsal times and our first performance dates will be announced on Instagram before anywhere else.
Behind the scenes
Instrument features, member spotlights, and the lead up to our debut.
@usc_chinesemusic
Follow us on Instagram

Live feed from Instagram · tap any post to open it

Get Involved

Be Part of the Revival

We launched in Spring 2026 and are building our roster for Fall. Rehearsals are TBD, so sign up and you'll be first to know.

Genuinely all skill levels
Beginners and conservatory players alike. We'll build the program around who shows up.
New folk + fusion
Traditional foundation. Pop, rock, electronic, rap, opera, all fair game. This is 新民乐.
Real performances
Live concerts, campus events, and film scoring work as we grow.
Fall 2026 semester
We launched in Spring 2026 and are growing for Fall. Sign up now, and members joining early have a say in how we run things.
Express Interest
Musician or film scorer, tell us a little about yourself.

We'll respond within a few days · usc.chinesemusic@gmail.com