Jeremy Moyer will debut his original compositions for the erhu, gaohu and coconut shell fiddle at a concert Feb 2 at 8 p.m. at the Waterloo Community Arts Centre, (25 Regina St. S. Waterloo).

A native of Waterloo, Moyer has performed Cantonese and Taiwanese traditional music at numerous events in the local area including the K-W Multicultural Festival, the Mill Race Festival of Traditional Folk Music, and the Renison College East Asian Autumn Festival. He plays the erhu (standard Chinese two-stringed fiddle), the gaohu (Cantonese high pitched fiddle), and the Taiwanese coconut shell fiddle.

This is the first concert in Waterloo where Moyer will perform not only traditional Chinese music but also his original instrumental music composed for the Chinese two-stringed fiddles. Moyer, who currently lives in Montreal, will be accompanied by Pei-Yi Niu on Erhu, Xiao-Xiang Zeng on Yangqin (Chinese hammered dulcimer), Kevin Ramessar on guitar, and Brian Orr on percussion.

Moyer is in a unique position being able to cross the thresholds of two very different musical cultures, that of east and west. Moyer has lived for several years in Taiwan and Mainland China and studied Chinese folk music from the Cantonese and Taiwanese traditions with teachers such as Zhang Shi-Dong, a folk musician in Taichung, Taiwan, and Lee Yeung-Yee in New York City. He also has a diverse background in western music, from his involvement in the University of Waterloo music department choirs and stage band to his experience as a bass player, guitar player and percussionist with groups performing South American Folk Music, R&B, and Funk. Moyer speaks fluent English, French, and Mandarin Chinese.

Upon returning from a musically inspiring stay in Taiwan in 1997, Moyer recorded and released his first solo CD entitled A Discovery of Chinese Folk Tunes. This CD features melodies which Moyer learned by rote in Taiwan performed in a rustic traditional manner on the coconut shell fiddle, pipa lute, and Chinese percussion instruments.

Since the release of this CD, Moyer has been performing Chinese traditional music regularly. In the summer of 1997 he performed at events in the Kitchener-Waterloo region. While living in New York City from 1998-2001, Moyer was a member of the Chinese Chamber Ensemble of New York. Since returning to Canada in early 2001 he has given several presentations in Montreal, Ottawa and Kitchener-Waterloo.

During this visit to the K-W area he will also be giving a free noon hour concert at Conrad Grebal College, Jan. 30 at 2:30 p.m.

Tickets for Moyer's Feb. 2 performance at the Waterloo Community Arts Centre are $12 in advance, $15 at the door and can be purchased by calling 886-4577 or by visiting the WCAC website at http://www.sentex.net/wcac/