The Mencius Society for the Arts (est. 2006) continues to serve 50 youth in Manhattan’s Chinatown, the largest Chinese music teaching program in the city. The Institute provides free weekly after-school group lessons (during the academic year) in a range of traditional Chinese instruments– erhu (Chinese fiddle), liuqin (lute), dizi (bamboo flute), pipa (lute), zheng (zither) and yangqin (hammered dulcimer)—as well as music theory, cultural context and ensemble performance. In 2009, CTMD and Mencius created New York’s only Chinese Youth Orchestra, which performs three times annually at venues in Chinatown such as the Chinese Community Center, the Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA), Hamilton-Madison House and local public school auditoriums. In 2010, CTMD assisted the Mencius Society in securing its 501(c)(3) status. Julie Tay serves as the program’s Director.