Taking the richly diverse culture of Taiwan as its starting point, the groundbreaking ensemble A Moving Sound juxtaposes ancient Chinese traditions with sophisticated contemporary styles. The group’s exquisite, accessible, and, yes, “moving” sound eloquently captures the paradoxes of its island of origin, where avant-garde innovations jostle against deep traditional roots at every turn.

AMS is as likely to base one if its original compositions on a famous 11th century Chinese poem as on an earthy Taiwanese folk tale or a modern spoken-word meditation. Featuring an expansive performance style and distinctive Chinese instruments like the erhu (two-string vertical fiddle) and zhong ruan (a four-string lute), the ensemble creates what Chris Heim of NPR’s Global Village radio program called “a delicate balance between many worlds . . . an entryway to Eastern music and an artful expression of the human condition.”

The ten year old ensemble features founding members American-born musician and composer Scott Prairie and Taiwanese singer and dancer Mia Hsieh, along with Cheng-Chun Wu, Tang-Hsuan Lo, and Hua Chou Hsieh. In addition to performing at the famed WOMEX Festival in Seville in 2006, AMS performed on Taipei’s Lonely Planet television series, Public Radio International’s The World, and BBC Radio 3’s World Routes. They have recorded four CDs, including their recent, self-titled release on Motema Music.

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