The two-day Sixth New York Big Apple Music Festival kicked off at the Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall on July 19, resonating with themes of friendship and peace.

The festival's theme, "Echoes of Humanity: From Origins to Unity", was highlighted in the opening concert, a theme that aims to convey a message of "friendship and peace to the world through artistic exchanges that transcend geographical and cultural boundaries", according to the Paulus Hook Music Foundation, the organizer of the event.

To celebrate International Friendship Day, which is observed annually on July 30, the three-hour concert featured artists from diverse backgrounds and included several thematic pieces.

What the world needs now is tranquillity and peace. That's why it's important to have a festival that promotes friendship, Liu Qianci, cellist and producer of the music festival, tells Xinhua.

The festival's teacher-student orchestra presented magnificent classical music pieces from around the world in their presentation, One Voice, One World: A Musical Medley for Peace.

Dubai's Malhaar Ensemble showcased an exquisite interpretation of classical Indian music in A Tune of Harmony.

Renowned erhu (a Chinese two-stringed fiddle) player Zhang Bin and his daughter Hina performed the US premiere of his piece Erhu Duet: Shared Winds, Shared Moon, One Universe.