Cultural connection: Master Chinese musician stops on Marco during break in her hectic schedule

Friday, November 30, 2007

She’s gracious and serene, almost humble.

But, put her beloved pipa (Chinese lute) in her hands, and her fingers are an almost ferocious flurry as they fly across the strings, alternately picking or strumming according to the mood of the piece she’s playing.

World-famous pipa player Hongyan Zhang visited Marco recently to take time off from her hectic concert and teaching schedule to rekindle her friendship with islanders Louise and Arnold Yorra, whom she met 15 years ago when Louise Yorra was stationed in Beijing with the Peace Corps.

Besides striking up a friendship, Zhang benefited from learning English from the American couple.

Photo by QUENTIN ROUX / Eagle staff

Chinese pipa player Hongyan Zhang

 demonstrates her versatility on the

   instrument. The world-famous player,

 who recently was on Marco to visit

   with friends Arnold and Louise Yorra,

  recently had one of her CDs accepted

into the Library of Congress.

The lessons were invaluable — Zhang was last year a visiting scholar-in-residence and lecturer at Columbia University in New York.

This year, in recognition of her mission to publicize the beauty of this type of Chinese music across international borders, Zhang had the honor of one of her CDs being placed in the American Folklife Center in the Library of Congress.

In an official letter from the Library of Congress, Zhang was told her CD would be administratively processed, and then made available to researchers.

The contribution, wrote archivist/Folklife Specialist Nora Yeh: “...enhances the Library of Congress in the depth of understanding the Chinese culture, and, in particular, Chinese traditional music.”

Made of wood, the four-stringed instrument, with bamboo and cow bone frets, has been around for 2,000 years and has evolved through time.

Relaxing at the Yorra’s house on Inlet Drive, Zhang said she believed the allure of her country’s traditional music is increasing.

“After all,” she said, “music is an international language in itself.”

Consequently, she’s happy to adapt her instrument to other music forms such as jazz and classical.

She said she’s as happy to solo with full orchestras, as she is with a quartet or quintet.

For her part, Yorra repeats what she’s always said about her friend: “She’s like our Chinese daughter. We love her and are so proud of her.”

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