Music Talks

International Children's Day aims to draw the world attention to issues affecting children. To celebrate this special day for our young listeners, our guest on the show is Duan Liyang, a singer and song writer of children's songs. She brings us several of her melodic works and also talks about how she made her childhood dreams come true.

Previously, we introduced a three-stringed lute, called the Sanxian, which is a common supplementary instrument in the folk performance of Beijing, so many say they feel nostalgia for old Beijing when hearing it.

Today, instrumentalist Wang Yu joins us and shares how he puts effort into optimizing the electric Sanxian. His aim is to expand its volume, giving it a more powerful resonance. He also brings us several remarkable works played with the electric three-stringed lute.

Guzheng or 21-stringed zither performer Luan Siyuan brings several modern Guzheng works that she collaborates with foreign musicians to find chemistry when the Chinese instrument is played with others from different cultures.

Mother's Day is observed annually in many countries in May. For those that are celebrating it, what's your plan to make it special? To enhance the festive vibes, several composers and a songwriter join us to share their songs that honor motherhood.

Earth Day falls on April 22 each year since 1970. The annual event brings together millions of people from around the world in support of the environment, highlighting the urgent actions people need to take to save our planet. The theme for this year is Invest in Our Planet.

As we mark this special day, several celebrated composers and songwriters join us in the hope of using their works to spread the message about the importance of environmental conservation and the urgent need to protect our Earth.

Chinese astronaut Wang Yaping played a zither rendition of the song "The Jasmine Flower" in China's Space Station on Feb 15 this year to celebrate the Lantern Festival. Music isn't only a method for astronauts to keep connected with people on Earth, but also a carrier of messages sent into orbit in the hope of reaching out to other intelligent life and to exhibit human civilization.

In this edition, we'll introduce several Chinese musical masterpieces that were sent into space during China's lunar exploration mission in 2014. The versions we present to you today were contributed by the prestigious China National Traditional Orchestra, also known as the CNTO. Renowned musicians and an art director with the ensemble will join us today to share the musical expression of each work and elaborate on their significance.

Have you ever seen an animated fantasy movie titled "Coco"? It tells a story of a 12-year old boy named Miguel who has a special journey to the Land of the Dead. In this afterlife world, he meets many deceased family members and learns that their spirits remain only if their living relatives remember them each year. The storyline was inspired by the Mexican holiday—the Day of the Dead. China also has this tradition to cultivate kinship values, filial piety, and continuity of lineage. It is a public holiday called Qingming Festival. Today, several renowned musicians join us to share some soothing pieces that are suitable to accompany you when thinking and reminiscing about your deceased loved ones.

The Gezi is a unique band, which consists of 13 young adults living with autism. They are able to play a challenging classic titled “Radetzky March," rearranged for 6 pianos, each with 2 members playing on the same instrument. Hou Linqi is the piano tutor for the band that used to be a music teacher in a university in Beijing before she retired. We'll get up-close with the Gezi Band and their tutor. Let's explore the band's innovative and entertaining ways of learning music and how art has shaped their lives.

World Water Day has been celebrated on March 22nd every year since 1993, with an aim to emphasize the importance of fresh water. Did you know that more than 30 percent of all freshwater on Earth is groundwater? So far, we have exploited more than 20 percent of the resource already. In this edition, we'll bring you several melodic tunes portraying water in different scenarios. Let's hear the sound of flowing water, and feel the rhythm of the source of life.

Poetry and music has been intertwined for thousands of years. We'll bring you several remarkable pieces for the 21-stringed zither or the Guzheng in Chinese, which were inspired by ancient Chinese poems. Let's feel the unique chemistry when the two art forms are blended. Our guest on the show is instrumentalist and composer Luan Siyuan.