Past Events
2005
5-stringed pipa concerts and recording in Seoul, Korea: 28 November - 15 December 2005
On December 6th Cheng Yu premiered her 5-stringed pipa music at a concert hall in Seoul, South Korea with Korean musicians. It is the first 5-stringed pipa performance since the 1920s, when both the 4-and 5-stringed Korean pi'pa disappeared. She performed Gyewon Byeon's compositions and recorded the music for a CD which will be published under a major Korean record label in spring 2006.
Recording Project: Heart of Asia, 14 - 16 November 2005
The musicians of the UK Chinese Ensemble worked with composer Robert Foster to record an album named Heart of Asia in one of the London's recording studios. It will be published by EMI in spring 2006.
Four performances at the Royal Academy of Arts 10, 17, 22 and 23 November 2005, 6:00 - 8.30pm
Six musicians from the UK Chinese Ensemble played traditional and modern Chinese music at the Royal Academy of Arts in conjunction with the China Arts Exhibition: The Three Emperors 1662-1795.
Venue: Royal Academy of Arts, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BD
Website:http://www.threeemperors.org.uk
Concert at Brunel University 9 November 2005, 7:30pm
The UK Chinese Ensemble will be playing an evening concert as part of celebration of Chinese cultural during its China Night event at the University.
Venue: Howell Theatre, Brunel University Uxbridge Campus.
Music and Dance performance 9 November 2005, 2:00 - 4:00pm
Cheng Yu and Tan Xiang will play at the Macmillan Cancer Relief Conference during the afternoon.
Venue: The Soho Centre for Health and Care, London
World of Strings, October - November 2005
Cheng Yu is to play the pipa for World of Strings, a major project in which the world's best string players form a group. She will tour The Netherlands, Germany and Italy in October and November.
Cheng Yu's 5-string pipa CD, Cheng Yu and Her 5-stringed Pipa,
published by SOAS, University of London, with new pieces composed by various established composers from all over the world is due for release in January, 2006.
Cheng Yu published a new solo CD, Masterpieces of Chinese Pipa and Qin Music
The CD was released in July by China Arts Records.
Concert and live broadcast on BBC Radio 3 and 30 July, 2005, 11.00-12.00 pm
This is part of the WOMAD Festival.
Some of the performances by Cheng Yu and Zeng Chengwei were broadcast on the BBC Radio 3 World Music programme Late Junction the following Monday evening.
Soulful Music From China and North India Saturday, 23 July 7:30pm
Cheng Yu (pipa)
Wang Ciheng (dizi)
UK Chinese Ensemble
Uday Bhawalkar (dhrupad)
Manik Munde (pakhwaj)
Venue: Jerwood Hall, LSO St. Luke's, 161, Old Street, London EC1
This concert was part of the Summer School (see below).
Ethereal Chinese Instrumental and Lyrical Thumri Vocal Sunday, 24 July 7:30pm
Zeng Chengwei (guqin)
Hu Bin (erhu)
UK Chinese Ensemble
Sunanda Dharma (thumri)
Accompanied on tabla, sarangi, harmonium and tanpura.
Venue: Jerwood Hall, LSO St. Luke's, 161, Old Street, London EC1
This concert was part of the Summer School (see below).
Chinese Music Seminars 24-29 July, 2005
The following seminars were held as part of the Summer School:
Sunday 24 July, 16:00-17:15
Topic: The Art of Dizi Music - Wang Ciheng
Monday 25 July 16:00-17:15
Topic: Looking East - Chinese Traditional and Contemporary Music - Professor Jonathan Stock, University of Sheffield
Wednesday 27 July 16:00-17:15
Topic: Seminar: Guqin - Zeng Chengwei
Thurs 28 July 16:00-17:15
Topic: Seminar: Erhu - Hu Bin
Friday 29 July 16:00-17:15
Topic: Seminar: Pipa - Cheng Yu
Chinese Music Summer School 23-30 July, 2005
Following the success of the 2004 Chinese Music Summer School, Asian Music Circuit was delighted to present the 2005 Chinese Music Summer School, giving eight full days of expert tuition on Chinese instrumental music. This includeed masterclasses on the guqin (Chinese 7-string zither) with guqin master player and maker Zeng Chengwei, pipa (Chinese lute) with pipa virtuoso Cheng Yu, dizi (Chinese flute) with dizi player Wang Ciheng and erhu (Chinese fiddle) with erhu soloist Hu Bin. This was a rare opportunity to learn and explore Chinese music in the UK. Classes were open to all takers, beginners and advanced. The Summer School was held at the Royal Academy of Music, Marylebone Road, London.Conference presentation Wednesday, April 13th
Cheng Yu presented a paper "Creating the lost Tang (8th century) five-stringed pipa for the 21st century" at the conference of The British Forum for Ethnomusicology and the AHRB Research Centre
for Cross-Cultural Music and Dance Performance.
School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London.
Click here for further information.
Recording project 25 March
Vital Arts recorded Chinese music played by by Cheng Yu to include on a CD compilation.
Cheng Yu at the Battersea Arts Centre, March 19
Cheng Yu performed with other Chinese artists. Organised by the Camden Youth Group. 7:00pm
UK Chinese Ensemble concerts at Plymouth University, 4 March, 2005
Cheng Yu and the UK Chinese Ensemble gave lunch time and evening concerts of Chinese music for the Chinese Treasures Exhibition.
Venue: Portland Square, Plymouth.
Lunch time: 1 - 2pm; evening: 6pm.
3 Weekends of Celebrations at Oriental City 12 - 5pm, 12, 13, 19, 20, 26 and 27th February 2005
399 Edgware Road, Colindale, London NW9 0JJ
5-string pipa concert 1pm-2pm 25th February 2005
Guildhall School of Music and Drama, Music Department Concert Hall, Silk Street, Barbican, London EC2Y 8DT
Tel: 020 7628 2571
Admission Free
5-string pipa concerts 16 and 25 February 2005
Cheng Yu's project to bring back to life the lost Tang Dynasty (8th century) 5-stringed pipa, won awards from Women in Music, the Arts and Humanities Research Board and the Arts Council of England. Both the 4- and 5-stringed pipas came to China along the Silk Road and travelled on to Korea and Japan. Cheng Yu collaborates with composers from China, Korea, Britain and the USA and musicians from the East, the West and the Middle East.
Composers:
Dr. Gyewon Byeon - "The Moment" (pipa and Korean deagum flute)
Dr. Gillian Carcas - "Aveaham Avinu" (pipa, nay and percussion)
Dr. Stephen Dydo - "Wind Chimes" (pipa and guitar)
Xu Yi - "Pipayin" (pipa and flute, clarinet, viola, cello, and percussion)
Musicians:
Cheng Yu (pipa), Jan Hendrickse (flutes), Stephen Dydo (guitar), Tim Garside (percussion), John Slack (clarinet), Michael Allen (percussion), Mara Miribung (cello) and Laura Metcalfe (viola)
Pre-concert talk:
Wednesday, 16 February 2005, 6 - 7pm, Brunei Gallery Lecture Theatre, SOAS.
Concerts:
Wednesday, 16 February 2005, 7.30pm,
Brunei Gallery Lecture Theatre, SOAS, University of London,
Thornhaugh St. Russell Square, London WC1H
For further details, please email yc4@soas.ac.uk or phone 020 7898 4515.
Friday, 25 February 2005, 12.30pm,
Guildhall School of Music and Drama,
Music Department Concert Hall,
Silk Street, Barbican, London EC2Y 8DT
Tel: 020 7628 2571
Admission Free
For further details, please phone 020 7628 2571.
Click here for more information on the 5-stringed pipa project.
The concerts are supported by SOAS and Asian Music Circuit.
Concert by the UK Chinese Music Ensemble 7pm 10th and 11th February 2005
Venue: Dixie Grammar School, Market Bosworth, Nuneaton, Leics BV13 0LE
Lunchtime concert for Chinese New Year by the UK Chinese Music Ensemble 1 - 2pm, 9th February, 2005
Venue: Museum of London, London Wall, London EC2
Cheney Hill Community Centre 2pm 30th January 2005
Milstead, Near Sittingbourne, Kent ME9 0AH
Workshop and concert by the UK Chinese Music Ensemble 7:30pm 28th January, 2005
Venue: Studio Theatre, The Castle, Castle Way, Wellingborough NN8 1XA