Feature: New York Philharmonic rings in Year of Sheep with concert

The music swells and subsides in the Avery Fisher Hall of the Lincoln Center, New York. The harmonious blend of cello and sheng, a traditional Chinese reed instrument made of bamboo, creates a magic, seamless sound that takes breath away of the audience.

On Tuesday, the New York Philharmonic rang in the Year of the Sheep with its fourth annual Chinese New Year concert.

Defying the frigid weather, an enormous crowd of revelers, some dressed in traditional Chinese costumes, swarmed into the renowned Avery Fisher Hall to enjoy the first-rate performance.

The interior of the hall was lit red and Chinese lanterns hung from the ceiling of the building's facades, adding to a touch of the festive atmosphere.

"The Spring Festival Overture," Li Huanzhi's traditional work celebrating the Chinese New Year, once again opened the concert, yet still offering a fresh feeling to the audience.

The event also featured the aijieke, a traditional Chinese bowed instrument, played by Gulinaer Yiming, and traditional Chinese folk songs performed by vocalist Lei Jia.

The concert culminated in the duo of cellist Yo-Yo Ma and sheng player Wu Tong.

"It is a very nice combination of wonderful pieces. I think the last two pieces were really my favorites," Marjorie Gurney Hat told Xinhua, referring to the duo of Ma and Tong.

"Sheng is very special, very romantic. It is not unusually done. Yo-Yo Ma's instrument is a very special cello. It has beautiful sound and of course, he is such a wonderful player. And the composer also did a beautiful job, I think," the New Yorker said.

The Philharmonic's salute to the Year of the Sheep also included an outdoor event on Lincoln Center's Josie Robertson Plaza on Tuesday afternoon.

The Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company performed the traditional Dragon Dance, and public school students from the National Dance Institute staged folk-inspired dances.

"I love their dancing, it is very colorful and their movements are fluent," said Donna Whitley, who comes from North Carolina and now lives with her daughter in New York City.

The retired dance teacher told Xinhua that she even brought her grandson here to see the performance, who also enjoyed the dance a lot.

The concept of Lunar Chinese New Year seems to seep into ordinary Americans' lives. The 13 year-old dancer, Flor Massey, told Xinhua that she and her family this year danced together to celebrate the Chinese Spring Festival.

"I also taught them how to use chopsticks," said Massey, who chose ballet and Chinese dance as two of her favorites. Endi