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Zhao Xiaoxia and the Trio of Three Continents

  • Olin Hall Bard College Annandale-on-Hudson, NY, 12504 United States (map)

As a part of the US-China Music Institute’s annual spring conference, Bard presents Chinese guqin virtuoso Zhao Xiaoxia for an on-stage collaboration with Gao Hong’s cross-cultural music trio, Trio of Three Continents. This unique concert celebrates the heritage of traditional string instruments from around the world, while showcasing these four artists' interpretive and improvisational mastery. 

The program for this concert will be announced from the stage.

This event is FREE and open to the public.

View the YouTube live stream starting at 7:30 pm on April 7, here:

ABOUT THE PERFORMERS

Ancient Echoes Participants
Trio of Three Continents
Gao Hong (Chinese pipa), Leonard Jacome (Venezuelan harp) and Issam Rafea (Oud)
Trio of Three Continents
Gao Hong (Chinese pipa), Leonard Jacome (Venezuelan harp) and Issam Rafea (Oud)

Trio of Three Continents features master musicians from China, Syria and Venezuela. Pipa virtuoso Gao Hong is joined by Syrian oud master Issam Rafea and Venezuelan harpist extraordianire Leonard Jacome.

In their performances they each play music from their cultures, demonstrate their instruments, join to together in free improvisations, and ad-lib live compositions that result in one-of-a-kind fusions. Their music is not Chinese, Syrian or Venezuelan, but a new form of world music that melds styles and sensibilities from three continents.

NOTE: The Trio of Three Continents is formally composed of Gao Hong, Leonard Jacome, and Senegalese Kora player Kadialy Kouyate. Due to unexpected circumstances Kouyate is unable to participate in this performance. In his place, the Trio welcomes oud player Issam Rafea, longtime collaborator with Gao Hong.

Gao Hong (Chinese pipa), Leonard Jacome (Venezuelan harp) and Issam Rafea (Oud)
Zhao Xiaoxia
Professor of Guqin, Central Conservatory of Music, China
Zhao Xiaoxia
Professor of Guqin, Central Conservatory of Music, China

Zhao Xiaoxia is a master teacher of guqin at the Central Conservatory of Music, visiting scholar at the Royal Danish Academy of Music, China, and visiting professor at Singapore Raffles Music College. Since 1995, she has studied under the guidance of Professor Li Xiangting. As a soloist, she twice performed in the hall of UNESCO headquarters in Paris. She has appeared with the New Zealand Symphony, Sydney Symphony, Netherlands Symphony, Tokyo Philharmonic, and other well-known orchestras internationally, as well as in the Tokyo Music Festival, Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, and Beijing Music Festival, among others. Since 2011, she has participated in the world tour of composer Tan Dun’s Martial Arts Trilogy. At the opening ceremony of Expo 2019, the world horticultural exposition in Beijing, her guqin performance showed the charm of Chinese culture to the heads of state of dozens of countries.

Professor of Guqin, Central Conservatory of Music, China

Presented as part of the 5th annual US-China Music Institute Conference, Ancient Echoes and New Sounds: Guqin in the 21st Century.

Earlier Event: April 6
ANCIENT ECHOES AND NEW SOUNDS: Guqin in the 21st Century
Later Event: May 14
Bard Chinese Ensemble Spring Concert 2023