Garden Tea with Urhu & Guzheng

penglai-oval-logo.gif

This afternoon celebration will feature Ms. Suhsien Chang playing the urhu, an instrument that belongs to the Chinese string family. The instrument is also known as a Chinese violin because it uses a bow and the sound produced from the woodcase is similar to the violin. However, the urhu has only two strings instead of four, and one side of the wood case is often covered by snakeskin. The tone quality of an urhu sounds very close to the human voice, making it an ideal instrument for expressing feelings.

Ms. Suhsien Chang will be joined by Mr. Lang Chou Chu on the guzheng, a multi-stringed instrument that has been played in China for over 2,000 years. Although played for centuries with 13 strings, new strings were added as the instrument developed and music changed, and today most guzheng feature 21 strings.

This presentation has been made possible in part by the Cultural Affairs Department of the city of Los Angeles and the Velaslavasay Panorama Enthusiast Society.