University of Southern California · Student Organization
Founded Spring 2026, growing our roster for Fall 2026

Ancient Music.
New Chapter.

中國音樂樂團

USC's Chinese traditional music ensemble is back, blending centuries-old 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
21-string zither. Sweeping glissandos that can fill a concert hall or anchor a film score.
String
二胡
Erhu
Two-stringed spike fiddle. Sings like a human voice, from deep sorrow to soaring elation.
Bowed
琵琶
Pipa
Pear-shaped lute 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
End-blown bamboo flute, breathy and meditative. The quiet counterpart to the dizi.
Wind
唢呐
Suona
Piercing double-reed horn that can fill a courtyard. Festive, irreverent, impossible to ignore.
Wind
中／大阮
Zhongruan · Daruan
Mid- and bass-register lutes. The harmonic backbone, mellow and round.
String
笙
Sheng
A free-reed mouth organ, one of the world's oldest polyphonic instruments. Rich and harmonically surprising.
Wind
扬琴
Yangqin
Hammered dulcimer with a sparkling, piano-like shimmer. 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.

From the Eastern Chamber Archive

Don't Take Our Word for It

Every performance below is from our Eastern Chamber legacy, the band we originated from. The next chapter debuts Fall 2026.

Live · CNY 2024
Northeastern Ballad 《东北民谣》
Mao Buyi's wintry folk ballad, reimagined for Chinese ensemble at the 2024 Lunar New Year celebration.
Live · CNY 2024
Full of Joy 《喜洋洋》
A festive classic, bright and full of New Year spirit.
Mid-Autumn 2023
Moon at World's End 《明月天涯》
Moonlit and cinematic, performed for the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Pop × Folk
Luzhou Moon 《庐州月》
Vae Xu's nostalgic hit on traditional strings and winds.
Film Score
Pacific Rim Theme 《环太平洋》
A blockbuster theme on traditional instruments. This is why film scorers should be paying attention.
Rock × Folk
One Night in Beijing 《北京一夜》
Shin's rock classic reignited. Proof that traditional instruments don't have to sound traditional.
▶ 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.

Our philosophy: traditional instruments don't have to sound traditional. We play 新民乐 (new folk music), and we follow wherever it takes us from there.

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
中國音樂樂團
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 build-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