SANFORD - On Wednesday, Oct. 2, the Confucius Classroom at Central Carolina Community College will host an ensemble of the China National Orchestra, China's leading traditional folk music performance group.

The Chinese Music Exhibition and Seminar starts at 7 p.m. in the Lecture Hall of the Dennis A. Wicker Civic Center, 1801 Nash St. This event is free and open to the public.

Seating is limited, but reservations are not required. Special seating accommodations and large-group options are available.

The event will blend the musical experience of a small ensemble concert with the educational insights of a special guest seminar. It features 10 award-winning soloists from the CNO, whose full orchestra comprises nearly 90 performers.

The CNO'S current United States tour will run from Sept. 22 through Oct. 7 as part of a U.S.-China bilateral cultural exchange. The CNO previously toured the U.S. in February 2013. The tour is concentrated on the eastern seaboard, with four of the six scheduled performances held in North Carolina: Sanford, Pinehurst, Charlotte and Raleigh. College Park, Md., and Washington, D.C., will also host the CNO.

For its performances in Sanford, Pinehurst, and Washington, D.C., the CNO has selected a small ensemble of musicians to demonstrate the sounds of traditional Chinese musical instruments and perform arrangements of classical Chinese folk music. Orchestra president Xi Qiang will introduce the musical performance with a brief seminar on Chinese music and musical instruments.

In the other venues, the CNO will perform with the Carolina International Orchestra for a special East-Meets-West Trans-Pacific Melodies concert series, marking the second time this year that the CNO has partnered with a local group; in February 2013 the Raleigh Symphony Orchestra joined the CNO for shows held during the Chinese New Year.

Begun in 1960 to preserve and promote Chinese traditional music and musical instruments, the CNO has garnered numerous international honors and toured some of the most prestigious music halls across the globe, in such cities as London, Moscow, Paris and Vienna. Nationally, the CNO has previously performed in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco and St. Louis.

In conjunction with the Carolina China Council and sponsored by Goldman Sachs, the CNO is committed to enhancing arts innovation through a unique exchange of music and culture.

In partnership with the North Carolina State University (NCSU) Confucius Institute, the CCCC Confucius Classroom promotes an intercultural exchange of language and culture through a range of educational and outreach activities, including hosting cultural events and offering both curriculum and continuing education Chinese language courses.

For more information about the Confucius Classroom, visit www.cccc.edu/confucius.