Wu Man, Virtuoso of the Pipa, to Perform Jan. 24 at Old Cabell Hall

January 13, 2010 — Internationally acclaimed pipa virtuoso Wu Man will be in residency at the University of Virginia's McIntire Department of Music Jan. 23-25, and will give a solo concert in Old Cabell Hall Auditorium on Jan. 24 at 8 p.m.

The residency is in conjunction with the art exhibition, "Treasures Rediscovered: Chinese Stone Sculpture from the Sackler Collections at Columbia University," on view at the U.Va. Art Museum through March 14.

At the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, Wu was the first student to receive a master's degree in the pipa, a four-stringed Chinese lute that is played by plucking. She has gone on to become the most prominent performer on the instrument, known both for her performances of the classical Pudong school of pipa playing from Imperial China, and as an outstanding exponent of contemporary compositions by leading Chinese composers such as Tan Dun, and Western composers including Terry Riley, Philip Glass and Lou Harrison.

Her three most recent recordings have all been nominated for Grammy Awards. She is also a member of Yo Yo Ma's Silk Road Ensemble.

At 2 p.m. on Jan. 24, Wu will give a free presentation the pipa and her musical background. The lecture and demonstration will take place in Old Cabell Hall, room 107.

Admission to the Jan. 24 concert is $10 ($5 for students, but free for U.Va. students who reserve in advance). Tickets are available at the U.Va. Arts Box Office, located in the Drama Building on Culbreth Road. Call 434-924-3376 or order online at www.artsboxoffice.virginia.edu.

This is an Arts Enhancement Event supported by the Office of the Provost to increase the awareness of and support for the arts at the University.

— By Marcy Day

Media Contact