Liu Qi-Chao
Encyclopedia
Liu Qichao is a Chinese-born multi-instrumentalist. He graduated from the prestigious Shanghai Conservatory of Music
. He now lives in Los Angeles
.
, sheng
, bawu
, xun
, and xiao
; stringed instruments: erhu
, guzheng
, and sanxian
; and percussion: Chinese drums, cymbals, gongs, and woodblocks.
, Jon Jang
and the Pan Asian Arkestra, and the African Chinese Sextet featuring flutist James Newton
. Due to his special interest in jazz, he has become associated with the Asian American jazz
movement. Liu also leads his own ensemble, Chi Music.
Shanghai Conservatory of Music
The Shanghai Conservatory of Music , as the first music institution of higher education in China, was founded on November 27, 1927. The teachers and students have won numerous awards both home and abroad, thus earning the conservatory the name, “the cradle of musicians”.-History:The Shanghai...
. He now lives in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
.
Instruments
Liu performs on a wide array of traditional Chinese instruments, including wind instruments: dizi, suonaSuona
The suona ; also called laba or haidi is a Han Chinese shawm . It has a distinctively loud and high-pitched sound, and is used frequently in Chinese traditional music ensembles, particularly those that perform outdoors...
, sheng
Sheng (instrument)
The Chinese sheng is a mouth-blown free reed instrument consisting of vertical pipes.Traditionally, the sheng has been used as an accompaniment instrument for solo suona or dizi performances. It is one of the main instruments in kunqu and some other forms of Chinese opera...
, bawu
Bawu
The bawu is a Chinese wind instrument. Although shaped like a flute, it is actually a free reed instrument, with a single metal reed. It is played in a transverse manner...
, xun
Xun
The xun is a globular, flute-like, Chinese musical instrument. The xun is made of clay or ceramic, similar to an ocarina but without a fipple mouthpiece. Other Chinese flute-like instruments, such as the Wudu and Taodi, however, include a fipple....
, and xiao
Xiao (flute)
The xiao is a Chinese vertical end-blown flute. It is generally made of dark brown bamboo . It is also sometimes called dòngxiāo , dòng meaning "hole." An ancient name for the xiāo is shùdí The xiao is a Chinese vertical end-blown flute. It is generally made of dark brown bamboo (called...
; stringed instruments: erhu
Erhu
The erhu is a two-stringed bowed musical instrument, more specifically a spike fiddle, which may also be called a "southern fiddle", and sometimes known in the Western world as the "Chinese violin" or a "Chinese two-stringed fiddle". It is used as a solo instrument as well as in small ensembles...
, guzheng
Guzheng
The guzheng or "gu zheng", also called zheng is a Chinese plucked zither. It has 18-23 or more strings and movable bridges....
, and sanxian
Sanxian
The sanxian is a Chinese lute — a three-stringed fretless plucked musical instrument. It has a long fingerboard, and the body is traditionally made from snakeskin stretched over a rounded rectangular resonator. It is made in several sizes for different purposes and in the late 20th century a...
; and percussion: Chinese drums, cymbals, gongs, and woodblocks.
Performances
In addition to his traditional performances, he has also worked in cross-cultural projects, collaborating with the Kronos QuartetKronos Quartet
Kronos Quartet is a string quartet founded by violinist David Harrington in 1973 in Seattle, Washington. Since 1978, the quartet has been based in San Francisco, California. The longest-running combination of performers had Harrington and John Sherba on violin, Hank Dutt on viola, and Joan...
, Jon Jang
Jon Jang
Jon Jang is an American jazz pianist, composer, and bandleader. Of Chinese ancestry, he is active in the Asian American jazz movement and specializes in music which combines elements of jazz and Asian musics....
and the Pan Asian Arkestra, and the African Chinese Sextet featuring flutist James Newton
James Newton
James W. Newton is an American jazz flautist, composer, and conductor.-Biography:From his earliest years, James Newton grew up immersed in the sounds of African American music, including urban blues, rhythm and blues, and gospel. In his early teens he played electric bass guitar, alto saxophone,...
. Due to his special interest in jazz, he has become associated with the Asian American jazz
Asian American jazz
Asian American jazz is a musical movement in the United States begun in the 20th century by Asian American jazz musicians.Although Asian Americans had been performing jazz music almost since that music's inception, it was not until the late 20th century when a distinctly Asian American brand of...
movement. Liu also leads his own ensemble, Chi Music.
Works
In the 1970s, a revival for the zheng instrument came about in China, as asked for by the government. Qichao wrote a zheng composition during the period called Caoyuan Yingxiong Xiao Jiemei ("The Heroic Sisters from the Grassland").Legacy
A book was written by Weihua Zhang titled Music making as an expression of a changing Asian American identity: the music of Liu Qichao and Lee Pui Ming that prominently featured Qichao and his music.Personal life
His wife was the late Zhang Yan (张燕, 1945–1996), a guzheng player.External links
- Liu Qi-Chao page from Ancient Future site
See also
- Asian American jazzAsian American jazzAsian American jazz is a musical movement in the United States begun in the 20th century by Asian American jazz musicians.Although Asian Americans had been performing jazz music almost since that music's inception, it was not until the late 20th century when a distinctly Asian American brand of...