it originates, sheng says, from his teenage years spent in the sweeping plains of tibet during mao tsecultural revolution. ♪ ♪ >> when i was in tibet, i could never imagine this day. it reminded me of my youth. and many of my compositions were inspired by the folk music and the environment of theair environment and-- when i hear it every time, when it's performed right, my heart pumps. >> reporter: the night before, sheng's hot pepper for violin and marimba kicked-off opening night at moab's star hall, a tiny performance space in downtown moab. part of the thematic bookends of this year's festival, the program-- callewedme acari--ns wa composers who, like sheng, had immigrated to the united states and become american citizens. >> it's looking at their music, how they've interpreted their own american experience, what their musical voices are. have they taken from their home countries, and somehow integrated that into their american lives? ♪ ♪ >> reporter: this year's theme oivividly reflects what is on around the country. the day before the festival'sin op the moab's "times- independen