February 28, 2026 7:30-9:00PM Qin Qian - Lunar New Year Celebration at The Philadelphia Clef Club of Jazz

 

PNC Arts Alive Jazz Cultural Voices Series Presents:

QIN QIAN - LUNAR NEW YEAR CELEBRATION

*SATURDAY* February 28 - 7:30pm



PNC Arts Alive Jazz Cultural Voices Series is proud to present a very special Chinese New Year Celebration featuring master erhu performer Qin Qian, whose career reflects a lifelong dedication to sharing and preserving traditional Chinese music. Trained in China by renowned erhu masters Huang Qidu and Zhang Yuming, she has performed extensively both as a soloist and with major ensembles including the Guangxi Symphony Orchestra. Since relocating to the United States in 2005, she has continued to bring traditional Chinese sounds to global audiences through concerts, recordings, and cross-cultural collaborations.

Her performance career spans multiple genres and continents. Ms. Qin has worked with jazz bands, classical musicians, and global artists, bringing the erhu into diverse musical settings. Highlights include playing with the Arpeggio Jazz Orchestra, performing original compositions like “Mountain Stream” with Western classical musicians, and recording Italian folk songs in Australia. Her performance of “God Bless Sichuan” in collaboration with the group Siris raised earthquake relief funds and gained over six million views in China, showcasing her ability to connect deeply with both Chinese and international audiences.

As a cultural ambassador, Ms. Qin blends performance with education to promote the erhu and Chinese musical heritage in the West. She regularly gives lectures and concerts at institutions such as St. Joseph’s University, the University of the Arts, and the Curtis Institute of Music. In these programs, she introduces audiences to traditional instruments like the erhu, monochord, and guzheng, and often combines Chinese and Western styles in her arrangements. Her concerts—such as “The Emotive Beauty of the Erhu” and “When the Erhu Meets the Piano”—explore music’s power to transcend cultural boundaries.

Tickets: $35

The Philadelphia Clef Club of Jazz

736 S. Broad St. (at Fitzwater)

Philadelphia, Pa

February 28, 2026 3:00-4:30PM Echoes of the Diaspora at Theatre Exile

 

Join us for a vibrant celebration of culture and heritage at Echoes of the Diaspora, where stories come to life through art and music.

Echoes of the Diaspora:

 Is a dynamic Philadelphia-based performance collective bringing together master storytellers, musicians, vocalists, dancers, and poets in a stirring celebration of African and New African-descended traditions. Through powerful rhythms, soaring voices, sacred movement, and spoken word, the ensemble creates a rich tapestry of sound and spirit that bridges past and present, honoring ancestral wisdom while uplifting contemporary expression.

Each performance is an immersive cultural journey — where drum meets dance, story meets song, and memory becomes movement — awakening the heartbeat of the diaspora on stage.

Tickets: $35

Theatre Exile

1340-48 S. 13th St.

Philadelphia, PA

Performers:

Bethlehem Roberson

Baba Kala Jojo

#Africanamericanstorytelling

Marcy Frances

Suzanne Burgess

Braylynn Nahja

Janet McDonald

February 22, 2026 7:00-9:30PM Breakwater at The Fallser Club

 

After a few years away from the music scene, R&B Jazz/ Funk band BREAKWATER has reunited and come back stronger than ever, ready to continue a musical journey that many felt was left unfinished. Though some missed the artistry of the band that has since been sampled by Daft Punk, as well as Kindred The Family Soul with Snoop Dogg, they were still able to establish one of the most solid, devoted, and loving fan bases that continues to exist and support them to this day.

Five of the eight original members of the Arista recording act are back- Gene Robinson Jr., Lead Vocals, Jimmy Jones, Drums/ Vocals, John "Dutch" Braddock, Percussion, Greg Scott Woodwinds/Vocals, and Steve Green, Bass/ Vocals have come together for a second go-round of Funk, great love songs and jazz grooves that made them a regular on the music scene here in the region and places near and far.

Happy to be back- armed with new songs and solid grooves, Breakwater has set out to satisfy the thirst of those devoted followers as well as bringing in a whole new listening audience of those who just never got the chance to experience their unique mix of R&B jazz funk featuring top notch horns, easy melodies, and pulsating grooves. 

So if you ever have the opportunity to check them out live, it promises to be an unforgettable experience. The original Breakwater members are: Gene Robinson Jr., James Gee Jones,  Linc 'Love' Gilmore, Steve Green, Vince Garnell, Greg Scott, John 'Dutch' Braddock, and the late Kae Williams Jr.

Tickets: $30 + $2.46 fee

The Fallser Club

3721 Midvale Ave.

Philadelphia, Pa  19129