Tsai, who plays a Chinese string instrument called the "liuqin," will join with 24 other musicians selected from 16 countries and territories to participate in the OneBeat 2015 Program in the United States from Oct. 12 to Nov. 11.

Music is a language that everyone understands, and music is above politics,” says Claudia Frenzel of Wanted! International, a German company organizing the musical exchange. [...] Today, Israel and Germany have doffed their starched formality and emerged as true partners. 

Six international artists in North Carolina this week demonstrate that international diplomacy can come in many different forms. While many may imagine diplomats wearing business suits and sitting in conference rooms, these artists paint a drastically different picture.

Unlike Yo-Yo Ma’s ongoing Silk Road Project, which since 1998 has celebrated the Silk Road’s melange of cultures and history of exchange through chamber music and educational programs, the China Philharmonic’s tour takes a traditional approach to cultural diplomacy. The orchestra is playing Chinese and Western repertory and effectively showcasing its strengths to China’s not-so-distant geographical neighbors.

Cuba’s Los Van Van are a force in their home country. And the ensemble is prepping for its fifth tour in the United States. [...] In addition to the Los Van Van concert, a Cuban film series has been airing at the NHCC.