Feast your ears on the musical classics of the east with MUSIC TALKS, the Middle Kingdom’s mashup of classical music and in-depth discussions with some of China’s most celebrated orchestral professionals. Experience the instruments, get some perspective, feel the pulse of antiquity.
Ye Yunchuan is an award-winning music producer, Grammy member, and founder of one of China's most prestigious recording labels, Rhymoi Music. He is one of the fairly important figures who have impacted Chinese music in various ways. Today, let’s join Mr Ye for inspiring stories, thoughts, and Rhymoi’s distinct musical pieces that you couldn’t hear elsewhere.
The earth is the only home for all humans and as many as 8.7 million different forms of life. In recent decades, there have been increasing calls and popular initiatives around the need to protect and save our planet. Earth Day is a typical example, which falls on April 22nd each year since 1970. As we mark Earth Day, five celebrated composers and musicians join us in this edition in the hope of using their music to spread the message about the importance of environmental conservation and wildli...
The sound of recorders in the air. A special concert is held in Ruiliang cave of Chuanshan Town in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. With no amplifying equipment, the cave itself serves as a naturally brilliant concert hall where pupils from a local elementary school take the centre stage. A year ago, these kids from humble backgrounds had no concept of musical notes. Now they are letting their skills shine in front of the world. Thanks to Ms Zhao Qianyi, their music teacher, visionary and condu...
Honoring deceased family members is a common practice in many continents across the globe, such as Day of the Dead, Day of Saints and the Wag Festival, just to name a few. China also has this tradition to cultivate kinship values, filial piety and continuity of lineage. In fact, it is a public holiday called the Qingming Festival, or Tomb-Sweeping Day, which falls on April 4th this year. Families across the country visit the graves of friends and family, spruce up the area and make offerings to ...
Spring has arrived. A favorite for most of us since it’s the time of the year when we can finally say farewell to winter, enjoy more daylight, and feel more uplifted by the natural stimuli the season brings. To echo this cheerful atmosphere, our guest on the show Yang Chunlin brings you several songs about this particular season. Yang is a famed conductor and composer with the China Oriental Performing Arts Group, one of the earliest cultural groups at the national level.
Previously, Mr Niu Jiandang, the suona master with China National Traditional Orchestra, brought us up close with the instrument that is widely played in rural China. In today's episode, Mr Niu will share with us his musical journey, from which we will hear how this Chinese trumpet changed a teenage boy's destiny.
Tony has a confession to make that the suona, regarded as the Chinese oboe or trumpet, wasn’t one of his personal favourites. Yet meeting Mr Niu Jiandang, a suona master, Tony has new eyes and ears for the instrument. We hope you do too.
In this edition, we get up-close with Shang Jingya, a guzheng performer and composer with the Beijing Peking Opera Theatre, about her innovative way of blending her style of music into Peking opera. Recently, Shang held her major concert at the National Centre for the Performing Arts, the country’s top theater. Our host Tony Reid spoke with her to learn more about her motivation, challenges and expectations for this inventive crossover, as well as some of her musical works presented at the conce...
On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, when the moon is at its fullest, the Chinese New Year holiday comes to its climax with the Lantern Festival. This year, the festival falls on February 26th. So how is this day celebrated and what does this day have to do with lanterns? All in today's Music Talks. Let’s take this time to check out some tunes themed on this special time of the year.
Previously, we have introduced the konghou, which resembles the harp in appearance and tonality. Many say its sound is melodic, elegant and heavenly. In this episode, our host Tony Reid talked with He Xie, a young and talented konghou instrumentalist and composer. We will give you some insight into the latest model of the instrument, referred as the double-strung pedal konghou, which is widely played on stage in Chinese ensembles. In addition, we will share with you a lot of fun and inspiring st...
The Chinese Lunar New Year, or the Spring Festival, is the largest festival in China, which celebrates the coming of a new year. A lot of traditional customs prevail during the holiday to boost the festive atmosphere and to wish everyone the best of luck. On this special edition, we invited seven renowned instrumentalists and composers on our show to share with us the unique customs carried out during this period of time and to spread festive vibes by introducing notable songs that reflect those...
Mr Huang Tianxin(黄天信) is a composer and singer, and Mrs Deng Kun-Rong(邓堃蓉), a lyricist. In recent years, they have become famous for writing and singing songs about their beloved hometown, Chengdu. Previously, we enjoyed some of their songs and had them talk about how they were inspired. Many of their songs, composed with the local musical elements, were even sung in the Sichuan dialect, giving their pieces distinction. Today, let's continue to learn more about this majestic place via their song...
Today we have composer and singer Mr. Huang Tianxin(黄天信), and lyricist Mrs. Deng Kun-Rong(邓堃蓉). They have become popular in recent years for writing and singing songs about their beloved hometown, Chengdu. Many of their songs are sung in the Sichuan dialect, a very expressive and spicy form of Mandarin. "Though it’s not spoken as much by the younger generation, we always tell our students that we should preserve our culture and not forget our dialect." They say. For those unfamiliar with Chengdu...
Mr Kong Hongwei is the leading and most prestigious jazz pianist and composer in China. Nicknamed as "Golden Buddha', Kong’s musical pieces, naturally combine Chinese folk elements with modern Jazz, vividly depicting everyday life. Previously, Mr. Kong spoke on his journey in music and we heard some representative songs selected from his most notable album “The Summer Palace", which unfolds his impression of Beijing. Today, let’s enjoy some pieces that beautifully portray nature via folk instrum...
Previously, we’ve introduced health and wellness music by the famed erhu instrumentalist Liu Ziwei, which coincides with the core concepts of Traditional Chinese Medicine. In this episode, I sat down with Ms Liu and talked about what difficulties and changes she had experienced over the past ten years.
Today we have Mr Kong Hongwei, the leading and most prestigious jazz pianist and composer in China. Nicknamed as "Golden Buddha', Kong’s musical pieces, naturally combine Chinese folk elements with modern Jazz, vividly depicting everyday life. For this episode, the songs we will hear were selected from his most notable album “The Summer Palace", which unfolds his impression of Beijing. Song Lists: 1. BGM: Beijing Waltz 京城的华尔兹 2. The Summer Palace 夏日皇宫 3. Walking Down the Liuyin Street 漫步柳荫街 4. C...
Previously, we’ve introduced health and wellness music by the famed erhu instrumentalist Liu Ziwei. Liu explained how her music is able to influence listeners’ health and why listening to certain songs at different periods of the day is beneficial at alleviating particular symptoms. In this episode, we continue with Liu Ziwei as she sheds more light on the effects of listening to erhu music for health and some songs she recommends in that endeavor.
Celebrate the final days of 2020 with a mashup of music and best wishes from the maestros of the classical genre! Hear from the ‘King of Chinese instruments,’ experience throat singing from the Mongolian Plains, and get into the ‘chillax’ mode with the konghou or Chinese harp. Music Talks hosts Tony & Niu Niu meet up with China's finest as they give sensational performances and share songs to usher in the new year.
Hey there! Join us on a New Year digital concert and meet China’s most elite instrumentalists. Watch us live on December 31st, 10 am Beijing Time. You'll find us on China Plus's official Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and Weibo accounts. You can also find a special podcast version on all major podcast platforms. Just search “Music Talks”. Let's celebrate the New Year with Chinese music together!
Boyong is a kind of traditional folk song in the Bomi Couty in southern Tibet. Inherited by word of mouth, it developed into a unique art form. Today, we have Yangzong, the inheritor of Boyong from Bomi County to talk about this music in Tibet. Song lists: 1. The Galsang Flower 格桑花 2. A Small Village 小村庄 3. The Leaf of Walnut Tree 核桃树叶 4. Dress Up 我要盛装 5. A Handsome Boy 阿若罗琼次仁 6. Auspicious Pagoda 吉祥宝塔
Research shows that music is very powerful and it has the ability to affect people in a number of ways, namely, their mood. Have you ever heard of listening to music to improve your health and wellness? In this episode, the founder of health and wellness music Liu Ziwei explains how her erhu music has the capacity to improve listener’s wellness based on Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Theatric dance is a comprehensive art form, consisting of choreography, music, stage design and costumes. Music in this field is supposed to give rhythmic support or enhance the movements of the dancers and highlight the identities or features of the characters. In this episode, we will introduce some renowned theatric dance music, written by famous composer and instrumentalist He Yuan. Our host Tony Reid sat down with He Yuan and got some insight into his work and stories behind his music. Song...
From Shakespeare, Jane Austen to George Orwell, a range of literary greats have inspired songwriters in the West. China also has many classic poems that have given rise to musical genius. “Love Lasts Forever” by Faye Wong is perhaps one of the most recognized songs in China, which was adapted from poet Su Shi’s masterpiece titled “When the Bright Moon Appears in Sky”. Today our guest on the show is Cen Jiawei, a guzheng instrumentalist of a famed zither orchestra in the nation, the Yuan Sha’s Zh...
Previously, we've introduced a bowed-string instrument, called the banhu, which is often acclaimed as the Chinese violin due to its sound. In this episode, we will bring you another member of the bowed-string family, the erhu, which is good at depicting intricate emotional expressions, such as sorrow and helplessness, and several notable animal portrayals. Today, our guest on the show is Duan Chao, an erhu instrumentalist from the leading Chinese ensemble in the nation, the China National Tradit...
Previously, we've introduced an unorthodox zither, called the duosheng zheng, which consists of two zithers of different sizes that are joined. The new model is a result of instrumental reform that its musical expression has been considerably enhanced, and allows musicians to integrate more bodily movements according to the mood of the music, which adds to the experience. Today, we continue with Miao Qing, a guzheng instrumentalist from the top orchestra in the nation, the China National Traditi...
China’s National Day falls on October 1st each year, to commemorate the establishment of the People’s Republic of China. This year marks the 71th anniversary of the founding of the nation and also another important holiday, the Mooncake Festival, also occurs on the same day. Whether you are at home enjoying quality time with your beloved ones or on your way to a resort destination, the music we present today is surely not to be missed. Today, we handpicked several remarkable pieces from Zhao Con...
In ancient times, Chinese instruments were usually divided into eight groups, depending on what they were made from, including stone, wood, silk, metal, bronze, soil, leather and gourd. In this episode, we will get some insight into a representative instrument of the gourd type, the sheng, one of the oldest free-reed instruments in the world. After the instrument was spread globally through the Ancient Silk Road, many say it is the predecessor of some reed-instruments in Europe, such as the pipe...
Michael Tan Chen is a celebrated American Chinese pianist and composer. He learnt playing the piano at age four and composed his first piece at 11. In 1990, 14-year-old Tan went to the US and studied at San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Later, Tan studied piano and composition at the renowned Julliard School of Music. Last week, Tony Reid had the pleasure meeting Tan Chen at his home in Beijing. Today, let's hear his story and enjoy some of his compositions from the Book of Songs, the oldest ...
Previously, we’ve introduced an eastern version of the guitar, called the ruan, which shares a similar tonality, appearance and playing techniques. Today, we have Ms Zhao Yue with us, a ruan performer from the top orchestra in the nation, the China National Traditional Orchestra. She brings us several representative pieces of the genre and hopes that our listeners are able to explore the enchantment of the instrument. Song lists: 1. Fantasy, 异想天开, performed by Zhao Yue and Wei Yuru 2. A Chill Br...
Autumn is coming. After months of scorching heat and muggy humidity, the sky appears higher; the air becomes lighter and drier. Leaves start to turn red and yellow, making our surroundings incredibly colourful. It is a season that inspires musicians to compose and poets to write. Today, let's hear songs reflecting this beautiful season. Song Lists: 1. BGM: Sight-Lady YingLuo 见-璎珞姑娘, konghou by Wu Lin 2. White Dew 白露, lyrics by Li Bai, composed by Lao Luo, vocal by Gong Linna 3. Autumnal Equinox ...
