The world premiere of “West Rhapsody” will be performed by the Missouri Southern Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Dr. Kexi Liu, assistant professor of music, at 7:30 p.m. tonight in Taylor Auditorium as part of the Sound of China concert.

“The program represents musics of different ethnic groups of China and covers a vast area of China, east, west, north, south, including both traditional and modern pieces. I think it is a very comprehensive program,” Kexi Liu said. “If you want to know about Chinese music this will be a showcase.”

Guest pianist Langing Lui, a semi-finalist at the 2006 Missouri Southern International Piano Competition, has returned to Southern to perform her solo in the “Yellow River Piano Concerto,” which ago she recently performed in China.

“I’m really excited to be here for the premiere of the piece,” she said. “I’m really honored.”

Zhou Long composed the piece for its Southern premiere after Kexi Liu, recently discovered his old friend had taken a position at the University of Missouri-Kansas City as a visiting professor of composition. The two attended music theory class together in Beijing and had not seen each other in 20 years. Liu asked Zhou if he would compose a piece for Southern and “West Rhapsody” was the result.

“What he did is he used a Chinese folk song from the western part of China and a fiddle tune, “Turkey in the Straw,” from the western part of America,” Liu said.

Kexi Liu describes the piece as new twist on the traditional Chinese style and says it is a great opportunity for a local classical experience.

“We do not have a lot of opportunities to hear a world premiere in Joplin,” Liu said. “This is one of the few.”