Min Xiao-Fen
Encyclopedia
Min Xiaofen is a Chinese pipa
player and vocalist, known for her work in traditional Chinese music, contemporary classical music
, and jazz.
She studied with her father, Min Ji-Qian, a professor and pipa instructor at Nanjing University
, and performed as pipa soloist for the Nanjing National Music Orchestra from 1980 to 1992.
Min emigrated to the United States in 1992, first settling in San Francisco
, California
, and since that time has worked with numerous contemporary composers, including Chen Yi
, Zhou Long
, Carl Stone
and John Zorn
. She has worked with the jazz saxophonist Jane Ira Bloom
.
Min lives in Forest Hills
, Queens
, New York
. She is also a founder of Blue Pipa, Inc.
Min worked with Björk
on the song "I See Who You Are" on Björk's album Volta
, released on May 7, 2007.
Pipa
The pipa is a four-stringed Chinese musical instrument, belonging to the plucked category of instruments . Sometimes called the Chinese lute, the instrument has a pear-shaped wooden body with a varying number of frets ranging from 12–26...
player and vocalist, known for her work in traditional Chinese music, contemporary classical music
Contemporary classical music
Contemporary classical music can be understood as belonging to the period that started in the mid-1970s with the retreat of modernism. However, the term may also be employed in a broader sense to refer to all post-1945 modern musical forms.-Categorization:...
, and jazz.
She studied with her father, Min Ji-Qian, a professor and pipa instructor at Nanjing University
Nanjing University
Nanjing University , or Nanking University, is one of the oldest and most prestigious institutions of higher learning in China...
, and performed as pipa soloist for the Nanjing National Music Orchestra from 1980 to 1992.
Min emigrated to the United States in 1992, first settling in San Francisco
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, and since that time has worked with numerous contemporary composers, including Chen Yi
Chen Yi (composer)
Chen Yi is a Chinese composer of contemporary classical music. She was the first Chinese woman to receive a Master of Arts in music composition from the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. She is also a violinist....
, Zhou Long
Zhou Long
Zhou Long is a Pulitzer-prize-winning Chinese American composer.-Biography:Born into an artistic family, Zhou Long began studying piano from an early age. Due to the artistic restrictions implemented during the Cultural Revolution, he was forced to delay his piano studies and live on a state-run...
, Carl Stone
Carl Stone
Carl Stone is an American composer, primarily working in the field of live electronic music. His works have been performed in the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, Australia, South America, and the Near East.Stone studied composition at the California Institute of the Arts with Morton...
and John Zorn
John Zorn
John Zorn is an American avant-garde composer, arranger, record producer, saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist. Zorn is a prolific artist: he has hundreds of album credits as performer, composer, or producer...
. She has worked with the jazz saxophonist Jane Ira Bloom
Jane Ira Bloom
Jane Ira Bloom is an American jazz soprano saxophonist and composer.-Biography:Bloom was born in Boston, Massachusetts. She began as a pianist and drummer, later switching to the alto saxophone, and eventually settling on the soprano saxophone as her primary instrument...
.
Min lives in Forest Hills
Forest Hills, Queens
Forest Hills is a neighborhood in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York, United States.-Neighborhood:The neighborhood is home to upper-middle class residents, of whom the wealthier residents often live in the neighborhood's Forest Hills Gardens area...
, Queens
Queens
Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. She is also a founder of Blue Pipa, Inc.
Min worked with Björk
Björk
Björk Guðmundsdóttir , known as Björk , is an Icelandic singer-songwriter. Her eclectic musical style has achieved popular acknowledgement and popularity within many musical genres, such as rock, jazz, electronic dance music, classical and folk...
on the song "I See Who You Are" on Björk's album Volta
Volta (album)
Volta is the seventh studio album by Icelandic musician Björk, released in May 2007. It was produced by Björk, Mark Bell, Timbaland and Danja. The music of Volta was a new style for Björk, focusing on similar sounding music combining African beats and other instruments with songs in tribute to Africa...
, released on May 7, 2007.
Discography
- The Moon Rising (Cala)
- Spring, River, Flower, Moon, Night (Asphodel)
- Socket (Amulet)
Interviews
- Min Xiao-Fen interview from Global Rhythm magazine, August 2008
- http://web.mac.com/mheffley1/EarrElevantAlmAuteur/MikeHeffleyInterviews.html Mike Heffley interview
Listening
See also
- PipaPipaThe pipa is a four-stringed Chinese musical instrument, belonging to the plucked category of instruments . Sometimes called the Chinese lute, the instrument has a pear-shaped wooden body with a varying number of frets ranging from 12–26...