The Ba Ban Chinese Music Society of New York is a Chinese music group. It conserves, generates, and performs Chinese traditional and modern performing arts. Named after an ancient piece of folk music, "Ba Ban" literally means "Eight Beats" which is the structural basis for the grouping of notes in traditional Chinese music. Founded in 1999, it is based in Queens, New York. The musician Zhou Yi co-founded the group. The ensemble includes highly accomplished artists who graduated from the top conservatories in China and have performed in concert halls around the world. The ensemble performs on "silk and bamboo" (sizhu) instruments: a classical instrumental grouping dating from the Qing dynasty (1644-1912) that includes various dizi (bamboo flutes), sheng (mouth organ), pipa (lute), qin (seven-stringed zither), ruan (alto lute), huqin (fiddles) and yangqin (dulcimer). In 2015, the group was recognized by the New York City Council for exemplary cultural service to the community. Some highlighted performances by the Ba Ban Chinese Music Society are: