A train whistle pierced the silence as Taiwanese harmonica master Jason Li vividly recreated a locomotive racing down the tracks. The final note drew thunderous applause.
Irvine FunPlay Harmonica Ensemble and Golden Strings Ensemble joined forces August 8 at the Laguna Woods Performing Arts Center, giving familiar favorites fresh new life.
Harmonica took center stage alongside piano, violin, ocarina, ukulele, and electronic wind instrument, revealing a sound world far richer than expected.
Strings Rise · Summer Glows
The concert opened with the full cast performing Do-Re-Mi and When the Saints Go Marching In, instantly lifting the room.
Irvine FunPlay Harmonica Ensemble followed with Massachusetts, Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree, and a Taiwanese folk medley, stirring memories across generations.
Spring Breeze Kisses My Face added a gentle touch of warmth.
Bamboo Echo Ensemble moved from the nostalgia of Looking Back Again to the joy of Top of the World. My Jiuzhai paired flowing music with a graceful performance by Fanghua Dance Ensemble.
Golden Strings Ensemble brought Somewhere Over the Rainbow and All I Have to Do Is Dream, filling the stage with bright, dreamlike color.
Virtuosity Soars · Audience Marvels
Tory Chang dazzled with Csárdás, lining three harmonicas at his lips and switching between them at lightning speed.
The music leapt from lyrical tenderness to fiery intensity, showcasing breathtaking breath control, agility, and virtuosity.
Jason Li followed with Orange Blossom Special, recreating whistles, engines, and racing wheels on a single harmonica—bringing the first half to a thrilling peak.
After intermission, Bamboo Echo's advanced class and Golden Strings joined for Small Hand in Big Hand, followed by Rice Fragrance, evoking childhood, fields, and home.
Irvine FunPlay then moved through Take Me Home, Country Roads, Oh, Pretty Woman, and Scarborough Fair, revealing the harmonica’s remarkable range.
Strings Unite · Music Soars
Ocarina Adventure set the ocarina and harmonica in playful dialogue, while Spring Dawn at Yangmingshan painted a fresh mountain morning.
A harmonica quintet brought Taiwanese sentiment to Longing for the Spring Breeze.
JasonLi, Sunny Yu, and Tory Chang then formed a faculty trio on chromatic, chord, and bass harmonicas for Paris Diary and the William Tell Overture.
Melody, harmony, and bass surged together, creating the scale and depth of a miniature orchestra—and another wave of applause.
Boundaries Blur · Echoes Linger
Sounds filled the stage and applause swept the hall—leaving more than music behind, but a beautiful connection across instruments, generations, and cultures.
2026 Irvine Summer Concerts Videos : www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIKYpf75sxZQ