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"In traditional Chinese music you learn to improvise a little right from the beginning"
Cheng Yu is an internationally renowned pipa (Chinese lute) virtuoso, ethnomusicologist and specialist in Chinese music. Born in Beijing, China, she was a soloist at the Central Orchestra of Chinese Music in Beijing before coming to London in the 1990s. Cheng Yu holds BMus. (China), MMs and PhD (SOAS, London) in Chinese music.
Cheng plays, records and widely researches traditional and contemporary Chinese music, as well as forming cross-cultural music collaborations in the UK, Europe and elsewhere. Her recent project to create the new-lost Tang Dynasty (8th century) 5-stringed pipa and its new music, has won her awards from Women in Music, Arts and Humanities Research Board and Arts Council of England. She is the founder of the UK Chinese Music Ensemble and currently teaches and researches Chinese music at SOAS, University of London.
Meet the composer
Children from Year 5 at Soho Parish School London spoke with Cheng Yu while they were learning her song.
How old were you when you started to compose? I started to compose short pieces from about ten years old. In traditional Chinese music you learn to improvise a little right from the beginning. First you learn the main melody and then you add what we call 'flowers' to decorate the music - you can add notes and make changes to the core melodies. You learn to develop a melody and, in that way, start to compose.
What gave you the idea of 'Jasmine flower'? I like the smell of jasmine; it's very delicate and so nice not only because it's beautiful to look at but also because it gives you such a good feeling. In Chinese culture we use the flower for different things ... ladies will decorate their bedrooms with it and also we use it for cooking and drinking tea. It's very popular and grows in southern China.
Why did you decide to become a composer? When I was young I learnt a lot of traditional pieces but I think it's important to play something you feel strongly about and to express yourself, so I did more composing. I wouldn't call myself a composer yet; I am still learning!
When did you start to play your instrument? My father, who also plays the pipa, started teaching me when I was seven.
Does it make your arm ache when you play? In the beginning it did a little bit but you get used to it. When I was little I couldn't play the full-size instrument so I had to buy a smaller one, just like you would have to get a smaller size violin if you started now.
Can you play this song on other instruments, like the guitar? Yes I can. |
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