Editor's note: This year marks the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the United States. Over the decades, cultural and artistic activities -- especially musical events -- have played a vital role in normalizing and enhancing bilateral ties. As early as 1973, a historic tour by the world-renowned Philadelphia Orchestra signaled a thaw in cultural exchange between China and the United States. Today, the musical landscapes of both countries are more closely interwoven than ever, reflecting a high level of mutual learning in the fields of culture and the arts. This week, Xinhua will release a series of three profiles on this topic, and the following text is the third piece.
by Xinhua writers Shi Yifei, Wang Xiaopeng and Huang Yuzhang
BEIJING, Dec. 27 (Xinhua) -- Shimmering in the beam of the stage spotlight, Wu Man stands out from the symphony orchestra, cradling a pear-shaped, four-stringed Chinese lute, known as the pipa. When her fingers start to dance, Wu, a world-renowned pipa virtuoso, sends waves of captivating melodies into the air.
On the evening of Nov. 10, Wu joined the Philadelphia Orchestra for a performance of pieces such as "Concerto for Pipa and Orchestra No.2" at a theater in Haikou, capital city of south China's tropical island province of Hainan, weaving Chinese musical heritage seamlessly into an orchestral tapestry.
This performance marked the final concert of the orchestra's 2024 tour of China. During the period from Oct. 31 to Nov. 10, the U.S. ensemble staged nine concerts in multiple cities in China, with their tour coinciding with China and the United States celebrating 45 years of diplomatic ties this year.
The tour was the first time that the orchestra and Wu, the featured pipa soloist, had performed together in China.
About ten months earlier, they had staged a similar performance together in Philadelphia in the United States, enthralling an audience of around 2,800 in the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts -- which was almost filled to capacity.
Dubbed "the artist most responsible for bringing the pipa to the Western world" by the Los Angeles Times, Wu's name has become an embodiment of this musical instrument in American music circles; mention one and the other instantly comes to mind.
Over the past more than three decades, Wu has made continued efforts to introduce the pipa to a wider American audience, gradually elevating its profile and status.
"More and more students of different nationalities and ethnicities are now discovering the charm of Chinese folk music. It's a positive trend for sure," Wu told Xinhua in an exclusive interview.
Notably, the Bard College Conservatory of Music in New York in 2018 established a degree program focusing on Chinese musical instruments, while providing opportunities for those interested in Chinese music to perform in public.
The millennia-old pipa, however, was virtually unknown to most Americans when Wu, born and raised in east China's Hangzhou, first moved to the United States after graduating with the first-ever master's degree in the pipa from the prestigious Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. That was in 1990 when she started her U.S. musical career from scratch.
"Back then, it was very difficult to put together a concert featuring traditional Chinese instruments. Most people had never even heard of them and had no interest at all," Wu recollected.
Wu revealed that her first performance in the United States was a solo recital in a church, attended by an audience of elderly listeners. From there, Wu ventured into many corners of American society -- playing on bustling sidewalks, at weekend church events, school assemblies and senior centers. Wherever there was an invitation, she would go.
Years later, a collaborative performance with the Kronos Quartet, pioneers of contemporary music, marked a watershed in Wu's career. It was the first time the pipa had been integrated with a string quartet, and it turned out to be a resounding success, winning over the hearts of her fellow musicians and the audience.
One day in 1999, Wu and Yo-Yo Ma, a revered Chinese-American cellist, were invited to perform together at the White House. "Ma and I played a duet of folk songs that night, and it was fantastic," she recalled.
Wu's collaboration with Ma did not end there. For over two decades, she has engaged in the establishment and development of Ma's Silkroad Ensemble, which drew inspiration from the ancient trade route and brought artists of different nationalities together to create new music.
In this group, Wu explored the possibility of integrating the pipa with musical instruments from all over the world, creating beautiful works to promote cultural interaction through music as "an international language."
"Wu Man's technique and abilities give her the freedom to navigate fearlessly in other world music styles, always resulting in harmonious cooperation," said Ricardo Vogt, a young Brazilian musician who once collaborated with Wu.
Her efforts in collaborating with international musicians gradually paid off, with "Sing Me Home," an album she recorded alongside members of the Silkroad Ensemble, earning a Grammy Award in 2017. In 2023, Wu was awarded the National Heritage Fellowship, one of the most prestigious honors in folk and traditional arts in the United States.
Wu's aspirations stretch beyond playing music. On her website, she describes herself as an "educator," committed to enabling more people worldwide, especially the younger generation, to experience and enjoy the beauty of traditional Chinese music.
During a conversation about her students in the United States, Wu recalled a young man named Henry from Connecticut. Now in his thirties, Henry started learning the pipa under her guidance when he was eight.
"After one of my performances, his parents came to see me backstage and told me he wanted to learn to play the pipa," she said.
Over the years, Henry's growing mastery of the instrument sparked a deeper interest in Chinese culture.
"In his college years, Henry learned Chinese and even traveled to more places in China than I did," Wu said.
"Music can serve as a window into China for children in the United States," Wu said. For her, musical instruments like the pipa play an important role in fostering cultural exchanges.
As a distinguished professor at Zhejiang Conservatory of Music in the east of China, Wu continues to share her experiences of playing the pipa on the world stage and her understanding of the features of traditional Chinese music with her Chinese students. In doing so, she hopes more will join her in promoting traditional Chinese music.
"Only by embracing our traditions and engaging with others can we better tell the stories of Chinese music to the world," Wu concluded. ■
