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A traditional Chinese four-stringed lute， the pipa originated in Central Asia. After evolving for thousands of years， it became a mysteriously exotic instrument， especially in the eyes of Westerners. Wu Man， a Chinese woman living in America， plays the pipa. She was one of the original members of Yo-Yo Ma’s music team called the Silk Road Ensemble， and once performed at the White House for former U.S. President Bill Clinton and his wife. She earned seven Grammy nominations in Best Performance and Best World Music Album categories. In February of this year， the Silk Road Ensemble won Best World Music Album at the 58th Grammys for Sing My Home. Wu introduced the pipa to the world， making it a household name for many around the world.
Opening Foreign Doors with the Pipa
“Why don’t traditional instrument learners go abroad？”
In the 1990s， when studying abroad first became all the rage in China， many of Wu Man’s schoolmates who majored in Western instruments went to Europe and America to further study. Wu began pondering why not her. The vast world outside deeply attracted her. At that time， Wu had already become the first to obtain a master’s degree in pipa performance at the Central Conservatory of Music， and was able to stay to be a teacher there. But ultimately， she passed up the chance there to go to America with her pipa.
Many people asked why she chose to go abroad considering all extant knowledge of this instrument remained at home. “Who is going to teach you about this instrument？ Who will you learn from there？” some asked. Wu resolutely believed that the more traditional demands even more external information. Only by understanding the opposite can one truly understand a traditional essence.
At first， Wu had little knowledge of English. She wanted to communicate through music， but Westerners were not familiar with the pipa or her culture， which left Wu feeling miles away from them.“Giving up wasn’t an option，” she stresses.“As a musician with an exotic instrument in my hand， catering to Western audiences became a huge challenge.”
Wu considers her first few years in the United States “shameless.” Lacking any role models， she sacrificed her personal life to dedicate every waking hour to her craft and succeeded with persistence. Whatever the occasion， whether it was paid or not， Wu seized on every chance to perform with her pipa. Tens of thousands of performances made Wu the musician she is today， and each one remains like a precious possession.
Opening Foreign Doors with the Pipa
“Why don’t traditional instrument learners go abroad？”
In the 1990s， when studying abroad first became all the rage in China， many of Wu Man’s schoolmates who majored in Western instruments went to Europe and America to further study. Wu began pondering why not her. The vast world outside deeply attracted her. At that time， Wu had already become the first to obtain a master’s degree in pipa performance at the Central Conservatory of Music， and was able to stay to be a teacher there. But ultimately， she passed up the chance there to go to America with her pipa.
Many people asked why she chose to go abroad considering all extant knowledge of this instrument remained at home. “Who is going to teach you about this instrument？ Who will you learn from there？” some asked. Wu resolutely believed that the more traditional demands even more external information. Only by understanding the opposite can one truly understand a traditional essence.
At first， Wu had little knowledge of English. She wanted to communicate through music， but Westerners were not familiar with the pipa or her culture， which left Wu feeling miles away from them.“Giving up wasn’t an option，” she stresses.“As a musician with an exotic instrument in my hand， catering to Western audiences became a huge challenge.”
Wu considers her first few years in the United States “shameless.” Lacking any role models， she sacrificed her personal life to dedicate every waking hour to her craft and succeeded with persistence. Whatever the occasion， whether it was paid or not， Wu seized on every chance to perform with her pipa. Tens of thousands of performances made Wu the musician she is today， and each one remains like a precious possession.