Xie Yudan

Xie Yudan is a young virtuoso from China who ranks among today’s leading performers of traditional Chinese music. She has specialized in playing the pipa, a pear-shaped lute that has been in use for over 2,000 years in China. The pipa exists in a number of forms, including the short- or long-necked pipa as well as variants with a straight or a crooked neck, and the instrument can be played with various techniques. In the past year alone Xie Yudan has participated in more than 60 performances of Water Heavens by Tan Dun in Shanghai. She has additionally appeared at the Shanghai International Music Festival, the Sevilla Festival, and the Young Euro Classics, a gathering of international youth orchestras in Berlin. Xie Yudan has received numerous grants and is the winner of several awards; at present she is completing her education at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music.

August 2011