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Liu Fang, Virtuoso performer on pipa and guzheng

NEWS and major EVENTS

2010

[Calendar 2010 ] [upcoming events]

Liu Fang concert photostory

Reportage: Liu Fang concert in Lublin (photo, video)

Inne Brzmienia Festival 2010: Liu Fang in concert (video)

Guy Gavriel Kay's prize-winning noval - "Under Heaven": The music of the pipa is powerfully associated with Tang Dynasty China, and Under Heaven makes use of this in many different ways. During his research for the book, Guy Kay came across the pipa music of the brilliant Liu Fang, and they corresponded on issues of technique and transitions in the use of the instrument through time... (Read more and hear music online)

Liu Fang interview at www.allaboutjazz.com (2010-06-28).

St. Croix Music Magazine Presents: Liu Fang (May, 2010): Liu Fang is without a doubt one of the world’s greatest musicians. There is an emotional and creative connection between her and the instruments that she is in total command of. Everything that Liu Fang plays is at the highest level of musical passion, inventiveness, and technique. And her music also represents the “truest of the true” in authenticity and dedication to an art form that she loves... (more, with videos....)

"Cela fait maintenant plus d'un siècle que la vieille Europe se nourrit d'une ribambelle de fantasmes sur la Chine. Or, alors quel 'acculturation semble être galopante, c'est tout un peuple qui compose aujourd'hui avec son histoire, ses traditions et ses désirs.

Liu Fang a choisi de ne pas trancher la question et munie d'un instrument et d'une formation traditionnels, elle part à la rencontre de tout ce que cette planète comporte de curiosités sonores.

.Installée au Canada et en France depuis une dizaine d'années, elle n'a cesse de confronter sa pratique de la musique classique chinoise à la musique contemporaine occidentale (Murray-Schaeffer) ou à l'improvisation "libre" (Malcom Goldstein).

Bien entendu, difficile de faire absatraction de l'origine de cette sonorité, on est en Asie cela ne fait aucun doute. Mais pour peu que l'on oublie tout le folklore habituellement associé à ces ambiances, cette musique s'avère finalement étonnamment fraiche et moderne à nos oreilles occidentales." (source: http://lefuretmulhousien.fr/)

press review: Liu Fang - Blues oriental et prestidigitation

"« Dextérité : nom féminin (1504, lat. dexteritas , de dexter ) ; adresse des mains, délicatesse, aisance dans l’exécution de quelque chose » (citation extraite du Petit Robert).

Pour une illustration moins livresque de la chose (mais ô combien éloquente !), il fallait se trouver hier midi à la chapelle Saint-Jean. Une heure durant, la musicienne Liu Fang, passée maître dans la pratique du pipa et du guzheng (les luth et cithare chinois), a littéralement subjugué l’assistance par ses capacités d’interprète/prestidigitatrice.

Technique ahurissante
Airs traditionnels chinois ou compositions personnelles, sa maîtrise technique ahurissante aura à chaque fois crevé l’écran — mais l’on retiendra surtout la poésie quasi langoureuse de ses interprétations aussi « bluesy » que sa veste de kimono en soie… Bref, une (belle) surprise de plus à mettre à l’actif d’un festival qui n’en finit pas d’élargir nos horizons musicaux."

- Emmanuel Delahaye, L'Alsace, 30.08.2009

• September 17-18: Liu Fang participated the renowned "SettembreMusica" - International music festival in Milan and Turin, Italy.

  

  Musiche classiche e tradizionali cinesi per p’i-p’a Torino, Teatro Baretti Liu Fang, p’i-p’a 18/09/2007 durata: 2min 42sec

  
  

• Liu Fang has been honoured with the prestigious L'Académie Charles Cros Award, the French equivalent of the US Recording Academy (also known as Grammy Awards), for her new record entitled "Le son de soie", an elegantly packaged release on French label Accords Croisés. This record, which contains four pipa solos, three guzheng solos, two duets with Ballaké Sissoko’s kora, two with Henri Tournier on Indian bansuri flute, and one with Algerian oud player Alla, has received ravishing reviews, being considered as "master musicians at work" and "a delicately embroidered album that reveals a remarkable cogency between instruments worlds apart (see press reviews). The award was issued by the Academie at the festival Les Escales de Saint Nazaire on On August 4, 2006.

• "The Palace of the Cinnabar Phoenix", part of pre-eminent Canadian composer R.Murray Schafer’s 12-part Patria Cycle, will be presented at Patria’s spectacular new outdoor ‘home’ The Haliburton Forest and Wildlife Reserve from August 31 to September 3 and September 6-9, 2006. The 60,000 acre reserve is located in the Haliburton Highlands of central Ontario.... (see Press release)

• November 6, 2006: Liu Fang participates in the Concert for the colure of the 60 year anniversary of UNESCO, "The magic flute … but not only", presented by the "Melody for Dialogue among Civilizations association", UNESCO, Paris, Salle I – 20h00. Click here for detailed information.

• From October 1 to 16, Liu Fang has a tour of 8 concerts in Holland, Belgium and Germany

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• Liu Fang performed two solo concerts at the Rudolstadt Festival, live broadcasted by West German Radio (July 8) and recorded by Bavarian Radio and TV (July 9), respectively. She also performed at the main stage for the closing program on July 9. ()

• June 19-21: Liu Fang participated at the Melody Dialogue among Civilization concert at the Presidential Palace of Nigeria, in association with the UNESCO conference, presented by Melody Dialogue Association under the project "Africa, but not only...", sponsored by UNESCO and the Ministry of Cultural of Nigeria.

• May 10-13, 2006: Liu Fang participated the WOMAD Festival in Caceres, Spain, solo concert at the Grand Theater.

• May 8, 2006: Liu Fang gave her first solo recital at the renowned "Theatre de la ville" in Paris. (See the reportage in Mondomix. The Mondomix presents portraits of Liu Fang and video broadcasting in English and French.

• March 8, 2006: Liu Fang is invited to participate a special concert of UNESCO dedicated to the International Women's Day in Paris, presented by the Melody for Dialoque Associations (President: Madame Mehri Madarshahi).

• March 3, 2006: Concert of improvised music. with Liu Fang (pipa), Malcolm Goldstein (violin), Rainer Wiens (guitare préparée) and Ganesh Anandan (percussions), Montreal, presented by Traquen’Art.

• January 31, 2006: Liu Fang will perform with the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra. Repertoire: TAN DUN's Concerto for pipa and string orchestra. Guest conductor: Scott Yoo. (CBC Radio Two)

2005

• November 16, 7:30pm: Liu Fang was invited to perform in the concert "Mozart, but not only ...", a special concert in Paris, presented by the Melody Dialogue Association for celebrating the 60 anniversary of UNESCO. Over 80 musicians from different countries were invited, each was recommended by their countries through the Embassies in Paris. Liu Fang represents Canada to participate this special event, sponsored by Canadian Delegation of UNESCO and Air Canada. The picture on the left shows the "surprise" specially arranged at the end of the concert program, with a huge birthday cake for the UNESCO. Liu Fang and theTalking Drums from Nigeria plays the "happy birthday"song. (see Webcasting ...)

• October 2, 3pm: "Trois instants d’éternité : ivresse, amour et méditation" -Musique et poésie chinoises des dynasties Tang et Song.
  Traditional and classical Chinese Music et poems. Music interpreted and improvized by Liu Fang, Pham Duc Thanh and their special guest: Andrew Cronshaw. Chinese poems read in French by Jacques Piperni. Radio-Concerts au baut du Monde. Maison de la Culturel d'Ahuntsic, 10 300 rue Lajeunesse, Montreal. (More about the concert ...)

• Liu Fang on Radio-Suisse, espace 2 L'écoute des mondes - music online listening

• more in "Performance highlights" & "past events"

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