Traditional Chinese music played on ancient instruments will be part of a gala concert on February 4 at 7:30 p.m. in Garrison Theater, as a delegation from Xiamen University visits Scripps College. Showcasing the diversity of Chinese music, the event will also feature contemporary works performed by cello, voice and piano. The concert is free and open to the public.
The concert is the fourth significant project of a longstanding cultural exchange program between Scripps College and the Arts College of Xiamen University. The Music Department of Scripps College has sent a faculty delegation to Xiamen University to perform and teach over the past two summers (2007 and 2008). This visit from Xiamen faculty is the second time they have visited the Claremont Colleges in the past four years.
The Chinese instruments presented in the concert are the Erhu, two-stringed fiddle; Hulusi, Chinese free-reed wind instrument; Shougu, hand drum of Xinjiang minorities; Xiao, Chinese vertical bamboo flute; Xun, Chinese vessel flute made of clay; Yangqin, Chinese dulcimer; and Zheng, Chinese zither.
In addition, a public lecture on Nan Yin Music, “A Living Fossil of Ancient Chinese Music,” will be given on Tuesday, February 3, at 5:15 p.m. in Boone Recital Hall, by Dr. Win Wang, professor of ethnomusicology at Xiamen University.
Nan Yin, known commonly as Nanguan outside of China, is a traditional classical music that originated in Fujian Province and was popularized by speakers of Fujian dialect in Southern China. Now considered a living fossil of ancient Chinese music, Nan Yin in a larger sense consists of two playing styles: chamber music and operatic music. Dr. Wang will discuss its origin in Fujian and its musical influences today in China.
The concert and lecture are organized by the Scripps College Music Department and are co-sponsored by the Pacific Basin Institute and Pomona College Asian Studies Program. For additional information, contact (909) 607-3266.