Over 100 people attended a reception on June 16 at The Library of Congress in recognition of relief efforts for the devastating May 12 earthquake in Sichuan and heard a musical tribute to the victims.

The musical tribute, provided by the US-China Cultural Institute, featured the world premiere of a newly-commissioned work by Huang Ruo, "Elegy: How Could Sorrow Say It All," performed by the Attacca String Quartet and Sichuan-born soprano Jiang Fangtao, and Chopin's etude played in memory of the perished children in China by 9-year old pianist Marc Yu, participant in the pre-Grammy Awards and recent visitor to Sichuan.

Guests and speakers included Congressman Mike Honda (D-CA); Henrietta Holsman Fore, Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development and Director of US Foreign Assistance; Minister Liu Guangyuan of the Embassy of People's Republic of China; and Vickie Tassan of Bank of America, a leading contributor of financial assistance for earthquake relief. Also speaking was Robert Siegel (of NPR) who was in Chengdu in his hotel room at the time the earthquake hit and saw firsthand the devastation and heroic response of the people and those who immediately came to help.

As a result of meeting and hearing Marc Yu at this event, National Public Radio’s host of All Things Considered, Robert Siegel interviewed Marc. Click here to read more and listen to the interview at www.npr.org.