Music Talks

The internet has changed people's lives in many ways and has given rise to new jobs, such as online influencers. Nowadays, a group of young musicians in China are striving to bring traditional Chinese music alive through digital content. Our guest today, Liu Qingyao, is one of them.

New Year's Day falls on January 1 on the Gregorian calendar. How will you celebrate and recount this year as it comes to a close? To spread the festive vibes in the air, here on this show, we'll share some upbeat tracks from "The Drum Voices" series, composed by Yan Minmin. We'll also check out some fun New Year's traditions in different countries from around the world.

Over 2,000 years ago, ancient Chinese people created a time system based on the Sun's annual motion to guide agricultural production and social practices, or what we know today as the 24 Solar Terms. Throughout the years, the Chinese solar terms have also inspired many artists in various fields, including Yang Qing, a young composer with the China Broadcasting Performing Arts Group. And from this inspiration, she's created an orchestral suite which represents the annual passage of time.

Can you imagine the despair and the hopelessness when polar bears have to swim for days in the deep ocean to find habitable ice caps to live on, thousands of koalas are swallowed up by endless wildfires, and marine animals are dying in oil spills or get entangled in plastic? If you can, it is never too late to make a change, which matters not just for the vulnerable creatures but also for ourselves and for future generations. In this episode, we've handpicked several pieces that were inspired by animals or plants. Liu Xing, the composer of these works, also joins us today to share the secrets behind his composing process.

In this episode, we dive into the world of the bamboo flute, one of the oldest musical instruments known in China. Celebrated flutist Tang Junqiao joins us today, sharing with us several of her very own handpicked songs. Tang is a leading figure of contemporary Chinese folk music who has been to many parts of the world performing concertos with the bamboo flute among internationally known orchestras. She is also an educator currently with the Shanghai Conservatory of Music.

"Paying it forward" is a worthwhile and fulfilling notion that we could use a lot more of in society. Sun Qiang is a visually impaired music producer, currently working in Chicago, the U.S. He arranges guitar music, records, edits and mixes soundtracks for film companies. In his spare time, he and about 40 musicians that are visually disabled voluntarily share audio instructions for others who cannot see, yet want to learn how to use a full-featured music software. Sun's incentive came from his first music mentor Lu Jinshan who didn't turn him down because he was sightless but opened up a magical world of music for him.

Many say the Great Wall is a must-see when they travel to China. It is the world's largest man-made structure, which was first built around 220 BC to protect China's northern border in ancient times. In case some of you haven’t had the chance to explore this architectural marvel in person, today we will give you a glimpse of it through music. The China National Traditional Orchestra recently held a concert, featuring the Great Wall from different angles. Tang Feng is deputy director with the ensemble. He brings us some of the remarkable music from the live concert and shares the creative process behind the scenes.

Palang Rocksilp is a Thai singer who speaks fluent Mandarin. He came to China to learn music at the age of 12 and spent nearly two decades in the country. Now back in Bangkok, the 33-year-old baritone says his hometown friends think he's very much a Chinese local. In this episode, Palang shares with us his musical journey and a few of his notable songs.

For our listeners out there, there might be a few among you who've heard 1973 composition from American composer Steve Reich titled “Music for Mallet Instruments, Voices and Organ”. It is played with several percussion instruments and the organ, along with harmonic vocals in the background. In case you are curious about the masterpiece, it was inspired by a classical orchestra from Indonesia, which is called gamelan. Consisting of percussion, stringed and wind instruments, this genre of music is performed during celebrations, funerals and ritual ceremonies. In this episode, we have Indonesian gamelan musician and educator Risnandar. Today, he will introduce the ancient Indonesian form of music and how he combines it with Western and Eastern styles.

Zhao Mojia is a young guzheng instrumentalist with the Xinyi Chinese Chamber Orchestra in Shanghai. In this episode, we will get up-close with Zhao as she shares some of her musical compositions and her 25-year journey with the traditional Chinese instrument.