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CORVALLIS - The Oregon State University Department of Music will present a unique program featuring three different traditional performing arts from China on Sunday, Sept. 15. The program begins at 3 p.m. at the LaSells Stewart Center on the OSU campus.

The afternoon's program will feature a troupe of Chinese acrobats, a puppet show and several musical numbers by a traditional Chinese instrumental ensemble. The ensemble of more than 20 artists from Henan Province in China comes to Corvallis as part of an official delegation of nearly 30 members who have been invited by Oregon state and local officials to further mutual understanding through the "people-to-people" activities of the Oregon/Henan Cultural- Educational Exchange Program.

Since the artists will be visiting a number of schools in both Corvallis and Philomath during the week following their Sunday program, the entire show has been designed to appeal to children.

Marlan Carlson, OSU music department chair and music director of the Corvallis-OSU Symphony Orchestra, traveled to China last December and March as part of the cultural exchange program, during which he delivered several enthusiastically acclaimed concerts and was named "Permanent Honorable Guest Conductor" of the Henan Symphony Orchestra.

Carlson said the music and cultural exchanges between the countries are critical.

"President Jiang Zemin of China was one of the first heads of state to telephone President Bush with his condolences and support after the Sept. 11 attack," Carlson said. "Many, many other U.S. governmental officials have stated unequivocally that the U.S.-China bilateral relationship is the single most important relationship for world peace in the 21st century."

Tickets are $15 for adults and $5 for children, available at the Emporium, Gracewinds Music, Grass Roots Bookstore, Scandinavian Trading Co., Creative Crafts and the OSU Music Department.

For more information call 541-737-4061.