Gao Hong and Friends – Pipa Potluck, Lutes Around the world (Innova, 2015)
Chinese pipa master Gao Hong currently lives in Minnesota and gathered a lot of her American and international friends to celebrate string instruments.
On Pipa Potluck (potluck is a communal meal to which people bring food to share, sometimes representing various cultures) you’ll find original compositions (and two traditional bluegrass pieces) inspired by traditional and classical Chinese music along with bluegrass, Middle Eastern, and Hawaiian influences. Gao Hong’s friends are well known virtuoso instrumentalists in their respective genres so there is an abundance of mesmerizing interplay.
The lineup on Pipa Potluck includes Gao Hong on pipa, Alison Brown on banjo, Darol Anger on fiddle, Garry West on bass, George Kahumoku on Hawaiian slack key guitar, Yair Dalal on oud, Jeffrey Van on guitar, Matt Combs on fiddle, Bassam Saba on oud, Dror Sinai on percussion, and April Centrone on percussion.
Gao Hong started her career as a professional musician at age 12. She graduated from the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, where she studied with the illustrious Lin Shicheng. In both China and the United States, Gao has received frequent top awards and honors. She is the only musician in any genre to win four McKnight Fellowships for Performing Musicians and was the first musician to win a Bush Fellowship for Traditional and Folk Arts.
Gao has presented her music throughout Europe, Australia, Japan, Hong Kong, China, and the United States in solo concerts and with symphony orchestras, jazz musicians, and musicians from other cultures.
As a composer, Gao Hong has received commissions from the American Composers Forum, Walker Art Center, the Jerome Foundation, Zeitgeist, Ragamala, Theater Mu, Minneapolis Guitar Quartet, Lars Hannibal, and Twin Cities Public TV. She is currently on the music faculty of Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota where she teaches Chinese musical instruments and directs the Chinese music ensemble and is a Guest Professor at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing.
Pipa Potluck features impeccable performances and memorable musical moments by Gao Hong and her colleagues.
Buy Pipa Potluck, Lutes Around the world
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
