The passionate, emotional flow of music fills a dimly lit auditorium, capturing every dark corner of the room. The atmosphere is reminiscent of the first day of spring. The rhythmic plucking of string instruments accented by fluid notes of slurred bowing depicts nature in its truest form.

For those in search of the ultimate getaway to eastern China, look no further than the UW's Meany Hall Theater. This weekend, experience A Touch of the Orient as East Meets West, a modern flare of traditional orchestrated Chinese music hosted by the Chinese Arts and Music Association.

The Chinese Arts and Music Association (CAMA) presents the Seattle Chinese Orchestra, the Washington Chinese Youth Orchestra and the Northwest Gu-Zheng Orchestra in their 22nd annual performing arts exhibition. CAMA is a non-profit organization created in 1984 to propagate the essence of Chinese music in North America.

"The annual performance expands the understanding of Chinese culture through music and the history of music development," said Warren Chang, president and founder of the CAMA.

The multifaceted styles and flawless arrangements are incorporated through bowed, plucked, woodwind and percussion instruments. Chang and his wife, Bu Yun, train each student professionally to acquire the intricate skills of the aforementioned instruments.

Various instruments, like the yang-qin and the gu-zheng, date back to nearly 4,000 years ago, according to the CAMA Web site.

Some UW students have taken an interest in the genre and are using the opportunity to become talented performers.

"I play the gu-zheng," sophomore Larissa Daimant said. "I like it because I like its harp-like qualities. I have been playing it for two years and I enjoy being able to make music with my classmates and perform. It helps develop experience and a greater cultural awareness while having a good time learning."

Although CAMA has been a long-established organization, each concert still strives to serve and accomplish a widespread purpose — to transcend generations and cultural backgrounds.

"Over the past 20 years, I have seen an advancement of more complicated compositions, as the young students have grown to be more professional musicians," Chang said. "With every performance, my biggest hope is to reach new audiences and introduce Chinese music to our community. With all arts, it is a way to expand culture and understanding."