Eight Hundred Applauses, One City’s Breath: Jason Li and the Bamboo Echo Golden Strings Ensemble Bring Harmonica Music to Life

By: Richard Ren / LAPost

LAPost / El Monte, Calif. (August 1, 2026) — Long before the first note was played, the parking lot outside the Los Angeles Overseas Community Affairs Center was already full.

Some audience members circled neighboring streets several times before finding a parking space, while others simply chose to walk. Volunteers continued bringing in folding chairs, but even the extra seating struggled to accommodate the steady stream of attendees. By the time the concert began, nearly all 800 seats had been filled. Even as the final performance concluded, the auditorium remained packed, with hardly anyone leaving early.

For a community concert centered on the harmonica and the ukulele, such a scene was extraordinary.

Yet on Saturday afternoon, the opening performance of the Bamboo Echo Golden Strings Ensemble and the FUNPLAY Irvine Harmonica Ensemble’s three-city Summer Concert Tour reminded audiences that even the humblest instrument can become a powerful artistic voice—and that truly moving performances have little to do with the size of the instrument itself.

Congresswoman Judy Chu opened the celebration by congratulating the ensemble on its fifth anniversary and the launch of its summer tour. She reflected on how founder Rick Chang created free Zoom classes during the COVID-19 pandemic, connecting students from the United States, Taiwan, and mainland China through music. As restrictions eased, the ensemble moved from virtual classrooms into local parks and community spaces, eventually evolving into today’s Bamboo Echo Golden Strings Ensemble, which combines harmonicas and ukuleles in a unique musical collaboration.

“Today, 800 people are here to kick off this three-city tour,” Chu said. “Next, you’ll be performing in Irvine and San Diego, and I truly believe this organization will continue to grow.”

Chu also presented Congressional Certificates of Recognition to founder Rick Chang, conductor Ben Sung, renowned Taiwanese harmonica educator Jason Li, and several ensemble representatives, recognizing their years of dedication to promoting music education throughout the community.

Director-General Mark Chung-Lin Ma of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Los Angeles joked that he himself had been delayed because the parking lot was completely full.

“I knew this event was already a success before it even started,” he said, drawing laughter from the audience while perfectly capturing the atmosphere of the afternoon.

Nearly 60 musicians from three ensembles shared the stage throughout the concert.

The afternoon opened with a spirited mass performance of Do-Re-Mi and When the Saints Go Marching In, performed jointly by the Bamboo Echo Golden Strings Harmonica Ensemble, the Bamboo Echo Golden Strings Ukulele Ensemble, and the FUNPLAY Irvine Harmonica Ensemble.

The audience soon settled into attentive silence as Jason Li, Ben Sung, Rick Chang, and Troy Chang performed the beloved Taiwanese classic Spring Breeze (望春風) in a beautifully balanced quartet. FUNPLAY followed with lively renditions of Can-Can and The Spring Breeze Kisses My Face, whose familiar melodies had many audience members quietly nodding along with the rhythm.

The Bamboo Echo Golden Strings Ensemble continued with Looking Back Again, Top of the World, and My Jiuzhai, accompanied by dancers from the Fanghua Dance Group. The ensemble’s advanced harmonica group then presented Hand in Hand, Walking Through, and Canon Flying Dream, blending harmonicas with cajón, violin, piano, and ukulele to create rich musical textures.

FUNPLAY later performed a Taiwanese Folk Song Medley and the Beatles’ classic Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da, prompting smiles of recognition throughout the audience. The ukulele ensemble followed with Somewhere Over the Rainbow and All I Have to Do Is Dream, before Allan Lui took center stage with a guitar solo of Hotel California, bringing together musical memories spanning several generations.

Yet the afternoon reached its emotional peak when Jason Li walked alone to center stage.

No accompaniment.

No elaborate lighting.

Just one harmonica.

And one master musician.

As the opening notes of Fengyang Flower Drum floated into the hall, an almost complete silence fell over the audience.

Li’s rapid articulation, effortless glissandos, and remarkable command of rhythm transformed the small harmonica into what sounded like an entire folk ensemble. Every phrase was executed with dazzling virtuosity that never felt self-indulgent. Many in the audience, experiencing a harmonica solo of this caliber for the first time, watched in visible amazement.

In just a few minutes, Fengyang Flower Drum demonstrated not only the extraordinary technical mastery of a world-class harmonica artist, but also the remarkable expressive possibilities of an instrument too often underestimated.

When the final note faded, the audience erupted into the loudest applause of the afternoon. The ovation continued long after Li had lowered his instrument.

Li later returned to the stage with Ben Sung and Troy Chang to perform Rossini’s William Tell Overture. The three harmonicas intertwined with astonishing precision, producing an orchestral grandeur that once again brought the audience to its feet.

Speaking with LAPost after the performance, Li said this marked his second collaboration with the Bamboo Echo Golden Strings Ensemble in Los Angeles.

To prepare for the concert, he taught weekly Zoom rehearsals from Taiwan for nearly six months before flying to Southern California for final rehearsals.

“To be honest, it was a tremendous amount of work,” Li said. “But seeing today’s performance, I believe we reached the standard I was hoping for.”

He described the harmonica as “the king of popular instruments,” explaining that its greatest strength lies in its accessibility.

“If you can breathe, you can learn to play the harmonica,” he said. “We hope more people—especially older adults—will discover it, not only as music, but as a way to improve breathing, promote wellness, and enjoy lifelong learning.”

Conductor Ben Sung said preparations for the concert had taken well over a year. Inviting Jason Li from Taiwan to provide artistic direction, while bringing together the Bamboo Echo Golden Strings Ensemble and the FUNPLAY Irvine Harmonica Ensemble, resulted in an ambitious production involving nearly 60 performers.

“It isn’t easy to organize a concert of this scale,” Sung said. “Our goal is to continue raising the ensemble’s artistic level by exploring collaborations among different instruments.”

Ensemble President May Chen introduced the organization as a community built largely by retirees, many in their seventies and eighties, who came together through a shared love of music.

She noted that harmonica performance is not only an artistic pursuit but also an activity that promotes both physical and emotional well-being, making it especially popular within Southern California’s Chinese American community. Inviting internationally renowned harmonica educator Jason Li to join the tour, together with the FUNPLAY Irvine Harmonica Ensemble, reflects the group’s hope of introducing more people to the artistic beauty of the harmonica while expressing gratitude to the community and media for their continued support.

The concert concluded with Li stepping onto the podium to conduct the audience participation favorite, Clapping Song. Before the music began, he jokingly rehearsed the audience’s clapping rhythm.

“If everyone claps off the beat,” he laughed, “we’re finished.”

The lighthearted remark filled the hall with laughter.

Moments later, 800 pairs of hands clapped together in perfect rhythm.

The applause merged seamlessly with the harmonicas.

For a brief moment, there was no distinction between stage and audience.

Perhaps that is the true magic of community music.

It asks for no credentials.

It recognizes no boundaries.

On one summer afternoon in El Monte, a single harmonica became the heartbeat of an entire community—and, for a few unforgettable hours, the shared breath of a city.