Paul Dice/Gao Hong 1609 West County Road 42, #229 Burnsville MN 55306 (952) 210-3628 gaohongpipa@yahoo.com www.chinesepipa.com Work Samples Video: Dance of the Yi (video, higher bandwidth DSL, T1) Dance of the Yi (video, lower bandwidth, 56K) Audio: Three Six (San Lui) Autumn Thoughts (Qui Si) Dragon Boat To hear the work samples, Windows Media Player is required. If you do not have it installed, you can download it for free here: Download Windows Media Player

Gao Hong Chinese music Gao Hong is a world-class performer who can play and demonstrate a wide variety of Chinese string instruments, including the four-stringed lute, the pipa; the two-string violin, the erhu; and the Chinese zither, the guzheng. She has performed and recorded throughout Europe, Asia, Australia, and the U.S. as a soloist; with folk, jazz, and ethnic musicians; in multiethnic ensembles; and with symphony orchestras. Her performances include international festivals in France and Italy, a world premiere with the Heidelberg Philharmonic, San Francisco Jazz Festival, and the Next Wave Festival. Her many awards include a Minnesota State Arts Board Fellowship, two McKnight fellowships, an International Art Cup in Beijing, first prize in the 1984 Hebei Professional Young Music Performers Competition, and others. The content of her workshops can be tailored to meet the needs of specific age groups ranging from preschool through college, and are appropriate for both musicians and non-musicians. Available: Anytime, no mileage restrictions Space: Needs an armless chair Fee: Negotiable

Additional Information:
Gao Hong is a world-class performer who can play and demonstrate a variety of Chinese string instruments.

Gao specializes in the pipa, a four-stringed lute that was introduced into China around 2000 years ago, during the Han dynasty. The pipa came to China from Central Asia, and it may have its origins in the plucked lutes that were popular in ancient Middle Eastern kingdoms. While early Chinese pipas varied in shape, material, and number of strings, today they are relatively uniform, with a long pear shape, four strings, and a standard tuning. Pipa music is divided into two main styles: wenqu, a civil form that often depicts scenes from nature, and wuqu, a martial form that evokes the sounds and drama of battles. Both forms are highly descriptive, and skilled performers can pluck and stroke the strings, tap the body of the pipa, and use many other techniques to imitate a vast range of sounds. The pipa can be played as a solo instrument, used for chamber pieces or to accompany singers or dancers, or several can be played together within traditional Chinese orchestras.

Gao Hong has studied Chinese music since she was nine years old. She played with a traveling troupe for three years during the Cultural Revolution, and later graduated with honors from the Hebei Provincial School for the Arts and the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. At the Central Conservatory, she studied with pipa master Lin Shicheng. Lin considered her to be his star pupil, and in the late 1990s, performed with Gao in Beijing, Honolulu, Seattle, and Minnesota. Gao Hong's music has received acclaim throughout the world. Her traditional pieces are considered extraordinarily faithful to older styles. She is skilled in presenting works from many periods and regions. She has also explored other forms of music through collaborations with symphony orchestras, ethnic music performers from a variety of cultures, and jazz musicians. In recent years, she has received an Artist Assistance Fellowship from the Minnesota State Arts Board, a McKnight Fellowship, a Jerome Foundation grant, and many other awards.

Gao Hong has participated in solo recitals, collaborative concerts, short classroom workshops, long residencies, programs for children, and many other presentation formats. Her programs can be tailored for any age group, and are appropriate for musicians and non-musicians alike.