CHINESE lute (pipa) master Zhang Hong-Yan, together with more than 30 top-level musicians from the Plucked-String Orchestra of China Central Conservatory of Music, make their Australian debut in Sydney this month.
The concert, Tales of the Silk Road: Pipa and Percussion Concert, will be staged at the Sydney Opera House on May 6 and Melbourne Recital Centre on May 8.
Combining folk music and contemporary dance, the concert brings together the pipa, Chinese traditional percussions and exquisite stage decoration, giving audiences a multi-dimensional artistic experience.
The concert explores Chinese masterpieces with strong ethnic features including Spring of Tian Mountain, Cockfight and Tales of the Silk Road.
The pipa, also known as the Chinese lute, is a four-stringed musical instrument, considered the king of plucked instruments.
With a pear-shaped wooden body, the instrument has a number of frets - ranging from 12 to 26 - and dates back to the Han dynasty (around the 2nd century).
- Sydney Opera House Concert Hall, May 6, 7.30pm; tickets from $39. Book www.sydneyoperahouse.com or phone (02) 9250-7777.
Melbourne Recital Centre, May 8, 7.30pm; tickets from $49. Book www.melbournerecital.com.au or phone (03) 9699-3333.
