The North Dakota Museum of Art Winter Concert Series, long rooted in traditional Western Classical Music, is devoting the upcoming season to the cross pollination between World Music and Classical Music.

The trend began in earnest with the Beatles who were responsible for bringing the classical and pop worlds closer together by mixing classical strings with electric guitars and drums. Their legendary producer, Sir George Nelson, classically trained in piano and oboe, single-handedly led the young mop-headed musicians as they smashed barriers between old and new attitudes to pop music.

This year on Sunday afternoons, the North Dakota Museum of Art will reverberate with the sounds of new compositions by Chinese-American composers played by one of America’s most adventurous string quartets; Syria’s most beloved clarinetist accompanied by a Sri Lankan pianist; a Chinese pipa, the Indian veena, and the Western cello played in concert together; a virtuoso violin player who is the hottest performance artist today; and an American Indian percussionist accompanying a classically trained cello player and composer. Classical music is alive and well.