Beijing native He-Cheng Liu has been a musician for over 30 years. Liu is a pipa (lute) and gu-qin (ancient zither) virtuoso of remarkable experience. A member of the prestigious National Traditional Orchestra of China since 1984, Liu has toured all over the world, performing and teaching from Vienna and Denmark to Singapore and Taiwan.
Earmarked for music at age 10, Liu was one of the few kids chosen by the Chinese government for conservatory training at the Madame Jiang Ching’s May 7th Cultural Arts University in Beijing. It was 1972, a time when all of China’s arts and cultural activities, except for the Beijing Opera, were suspended due to the Cultural Revolution (1966-76). In those days, Madame Jiang Ching still loved Chinese literature and film, and wanted to preserve something on a national scale.
Liu studied for 12 years under the influential pipa master Li Guang Hua, who taught only four students in his life. The pipa is an ancient, four-stringed Chinese lute instrument popular throughout Chinese history and culture, from courtly entertainment and accompaniment to modern orchestral solo and ensemble recitals.
During college, he was allowed to choose a second specialty, the gu-qin, which he soon mastered as well. Liu He Cheng plays both the pipa and his secondary instrument, the gu-qin, the most ancient instrument from China played by even fewer musicians today.
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.
