PROGRAM

PROGRAM NOTES 

瑶族舞曲 | Dance of the Yao Tribe

Yao Minority Tribe folk dance melody
by Liu Tieshan, guzheng ensemble arr. by Winnie Wong

Composed in 1952 by Liu Tieshan, of the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, China. Dance of the Yao People was inspired by the long drum dance, a form of traditional festival music of the Yao people of southern and southwest China. You can feel the “drum-like” beats throughout the piece.

The Dance of the Yao Tribe is one of the most known and most popular Chinese instrumental compositions of the second half of the 20th century. The composer, Liu Tieshan (刘铁山）captures the Yao people’s love for dance drum intertwined together through lively rhythmic footsteps and hand gestures that, like all other cultures relying on agricultures, gestures to the gods for prosperous harvest and protection for their village from calamity. Wong further, weaves together the sounds of their dance and song as if using threads of their beautifully embroidered textiles and brightly accents in their traditional wardrobe.

雲之南｜ The Land South of the Clouds

Yunnan Folk
arrg. by Yuan, Sha

Yunnan—“the South of the Colorful Clouds”—is a land of mist-shrouded mountains, lush bamboo forests, and richly layered cultural traditions. South of the Clouds brings together two beloved Yunnan folk melodies, Under the Moonlight in the Bamboo Forest and Midu Mountain Song, offering a musical glimpse into this enchanting corner of China.

The music carries us beneath the moonlight, into bamboo forests where the distinctive architecture of Dai villages rests quietly among the trees. In the distance, the gentle, plaintive voice of the hulusi seems to drift through the night. The melodies evoke the ancient Tea Horse Road, winding through mountains and villages, where songs once traveled with the people along paths connecting distant lands and cultures.

Through the shimmering voice of the guzheng, this music invites us to journey beyond our familiar surroundings—to listen, imagine, and discover the beauty of a place through its melodies. For a moment, Yunnan is not simply a distant landscape, but a world we can hear, feel, and wander through in our imagination.

Río Cansado | Tired River

Bolivian folk and Andean instrumental
comp. by Ernesto Cavour, guzheng arrang. by Winnie Wong

Río Cansado (“Tired River”) is an instrumental work by Bolivian musician and composer Ernesto Cavour, inspired by the landscapes of the Andes and the journey of a river from mountain peaks toward the plains. It begins with the energy of rushing, bubbling water, winding through rocks, boulders, and countless turns and bends, before gradually slowing and growing weary. Through shifting tempos, articulation, and plucking techniques, Cavour transforms the charango into a voice of nature, evoking an Andean understanding of the natural world as alive with its own spirit and emotions.

In this reimagined adaptation for guzheng by Winnie Wong, the river travels across cultures and finds a new voice through the Chinese zither. Rather than simply transferring the piece from one instrument to another, Wong reimagines its flowing landscape through the language of the guzheng. Traditional guzheng techniques meet harmonic colors inspired by the guqin, while unconventional approaches evoke the shifting currents, sudden turns, turbulence, and stillness of water moving through the mountains.

The river becomes more than an image of nature; it becomes a meeting place between musical traditions. A Bolivian melody, shaped by the landscapes of the Andes, finds a new voice through a Chinese instrument rooted in centuries of its own history. In bringing these traditions together, Wong honors the spirit of Cavour’s original while allowing it to take a new path—much like water itself, which travels, adapts, and changes while carrying the memory of its source

Through Río Cansado, the guzheng becomes not only an instrument of Chinese tradition, but also a vessel for encountering another culture and its story. The journey offers a glimpse of how folk instruments can cross borders, speak to one another, and bring cultures closer through the shared language of music.

凉凉 | Eternal Love

Contemporary (Pop), China
Ending theme song from 2015 Chinese Drama “Eternal Love”,
comp. By Tan Xuan, guzheng arrg. by Zhan Qian

At its heart, 《凉凉》** is a meditation on a love that cannot be erased by separation—not by distance, the passing of time, or even the boundaries between lifetimes. Its poignant imagery evokes the memory of a love left unfinished, carried from one life into another as longing, sorrow, and an enduring bond.

Throughout the piece, flowers become symbols of love, beauty, and the fleeting nature of life. Peach blossoms recall the tenderness of love and memories from another lifetime, while falling petals and water carrying them away evoke separation and the relentless passage of time. Even when flowers return to the earth as spring mud, they give nourishment to new life—a quiet reminder that what is lost may still leave behind something that sustains the heart.

The imagery of frost and coldness deepens the sense of loneliness and unresolved longing, while “三生三世”, “three lifetimes and three worlds,” suggests a love that reaches beyond a single existence. At the emotional center of the song is the line “生劫易渡，情劫难了”—*the calamities of life are easy to endure; the calamity of love is difficult to resolve.* It captures the enduring ache of a love that time alone cannot heal.

Yet the song does not end in sorrow. Its final wish turns toward hope: “吾生愿牵尘”—*in this life, I wish to remain connected to you in this mortal world.* Through Zhan Qian’s arrangement, this journey from memory and longing through grief and separation ultimately arrives at a quiet yearning for connection.

“Eternal Love” is, in the end, a bittersweet reflection on two souls whose unfinished love survives across time and lifetimes—a love that, despite all that separates them, still longs to find its way home.

さくらさくら (Sakura Sakura, 樱花）

Traditional Japanese Folk Song
Arranged for Guzheng Solo by Xie Tienji and Li Xiande, re-arrg. by Winnie Wong

Though histrically rooted in Japan, the timeless melody of "Sakura Sakura" finds a resonant and evocative voice on the traditional Chinese guzheng (古筝) in tonight's performance of “Our World Through Guzheng Strings.”

Originating during the Edo period (1603–1867) as an urban melody and a fundamental instructional piece for the koto (the Japanese 13-string zither), "Sakura Sakura" captures the transient essence of spring. The melody is famously built upon the In scale (In-senpō), a distinct pentatonic structure featuring characteristic semitones that evoke an atmosphere of reflective elegance.

While the lyrics vividly depict the festive gathering of hanami (cherry blossom viewing)—where vibrant clouds of pink blossoms blanket the spring sky—the music carries a deeper philosophical undertone. In East Asian artistic traditions, the short-lived bloom of the cherry blossom serves as a poignant reminder of “mono no aware” (the beautiful yet melancholy awareness of impermanence). Translated onto the guzheng, the piece blends traditional Japanese aesthetics with Chinese performance techniques, using delicate yin (left-hand pitch bends and vibrato) and sweeping gua zou (glissandi) to mirror the gentle falling of petals in the wind, bridging cultures through shared musical storytelling.

久遠 (Kuon)

Modern Koto Piece, Japan
comp. by Aya Kitazato

The title 久遠 (Kuon) evokes the idea of something enduring beyond the boundaries of time—an eternity that stretches far into the distance. In Japan’s anime, Kono Oto Tomare!: Sounds of Life, this powerful koto ensemble piece embodies that sense of timeless connection through music.

With its thrilling rhythms, dramatic contrasts, and moments of delicate interplay, Kuon captures the spirit of musicians learning to listen not only to themselves, but to one another. Each voice must find its place within the larger sound, transforming individual notes into a shared musical expression. The piece becomes a reflection of the journey at the heart of the story: trust, perseverance, friendship, and the discovery of what can emerge when many hearts move as one.

Featured prominently in the manga and anime Kono Oto Tomare!, Kuon serves as a defining musical moment for the Tokise High School Koto Club, symbolizing the growth of its members both as musicians and as a community. Through its energy and emotional depth, the piece reminds us that music can create connections that reach beyond a single moment—leaving something that continues to resonate long after the final note.

아리랑 | 阿里郎 ｜Arirang

Folk song, Korea
Arrg. by Winnie Wong and Chloe Kim

Arirang is an unofficial national anthem and beloved traditional folk song of Korea that embodies the collective soul, sorrow, and resilience of the Korean people.

Like many folk songs, the exact origin of Arirang is lost to history, but many scholars trace its roots to the Jeongseon region. The earliest known manuscript reference to "Arirang" dates back to 1756. “Ari” (an old Korean word meaning "long") and “Aryeong or yeong” (meaning "hill" or "pass"). Other legends link it to Lady Aryeong, wife of the first Silla king.The "Arirang Pass": Lyrically, the song often revolves around crossing a metaphorical or physical mountain pass, symbolizing life's hardships, separation, and longing.

During the early 20th-century Japanese occupation of Korea, Arirang transformed into an anthem of resistance, unity, and national identity. A famous 1926 silent film titled Arirang further cemented its status as a symbol of the fight for liberation. It is recognized on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List.

もののけ姫 ｜Mononoke Hime

Anime Theme Song, Japan
Orig. comp. by Joe Hisaishi,  guzheng arrg. by Winnie Wong

The title Mononoke Hime may be translated as “Spirit Princess,” or more poetically, “Princess of the Spirits of Vengeance.” In Japanese folklore, mononoke (物の怪) refers to supernatural spirits or beings born from powerful emotions—grief, resentment, anger, and sorrow that linger beyond the human heart.

At the center of this story is San, a human girl raised by wolves, who becomes the fierce protector of the ancient forest and its spirits. She stands between two worlds: the timeless wilderness and a rapidly changing human civilization, where the pursuit of progress comes at the cost of the natural world.

Yet Mononoke Hime reaches beyond a simple struggle between nature and humanity. Beneath its fierce battles lies a more profound reflection on hatred, loss, and the consuming nature of vengeance. As wounded spirits and determined humans turn against one another, violence gives birth to further violence, leaving destruction in its wake.

The story ultimately asks whether there can be another path—one in which humanity and nature might coexist without one having to conquer the other. In this delicate space between beauty and devastation, Mononoke Hime reminds us that the forces we fight against may also be part of the world we are trying to protect.

雪山春晓 ｜ Spring Dawns on Snowy Mountain

Contemporary Tibetan-style guzheng piece, China
Comp. by Fan Shang’e and Gesang Daji

As dawn breaks across the Tibetan Plateau, the first light touches the snow-capped mountains, and the stillness of the highlands begins to stir. Snow slowly gives way to spring; streams awaken beneath the melting ice, and the vast landscape gradually fills with the promise of new life.

Composed in 1981 by guzheng performers Fan Shang’e and Gesang Daji, Spring Dawn on the Snowy Mountains draws its inspiration from the folk music of Tibet, weaving its melodies and rhythms into the expressive language of the guzheng. The music unfolds like a journey through the awakening landscape—at times delicate and quietly luminous, at others broad and radiant, carrying the freshness and clarity of air from the mountain peaks.

The opening unfolds with a graceful, lyrical melody inspired by Tibetan drinking songs and the folk song The Golden Sun. Its flowing phrases seem to trace the movement of women dancing across the plateau, their long sleeves rising and falling like colorful ribbons in the morning breeze. Gradually, the music gathers warmth and vitality. Lively rhythms inspired by Tibetan tap-dance traditions bring the scene to life, evoking joyful gatherings and the spirited dancing of men beneath the vast mountain sky.

Pocahontas

Medley: “Steady as the Beating Drum” · “Grandmother Willow” · “Colors of the Wind”

United States · Disney / Film Music
Alan Menken & Stephen Schwartz
Adapted and reimagined for guzheng ensemble by Winnie Wong

Rooted in the world of Disney’s 1995 animated film Pocahontas, this medley brings together three musical moments that evoke the rhythms of nature, the quiet wisdom of the forest, and the boundless colors of the natural world.

From the steady pulse of the drum in “Steady as the Beating Drum,” to the mystical stillness of “Grandmother Willow,” and finally the sweeping, wind-swept lyricism of “Colors of the Wind,” the music moves through a landscape where earth, water, trees, and sky seem to speak their own language. The film itself draws inspiration from the historical figure of Pocahontas, a Powhatan woman whose life has, over centuries, become intertwined with both historical record and enduring legend.

Rather than retelling that history, this arrangement follows the spirit and imagery of the film—from the heartbeat of the earth to the whisper of the wind, from the mystery of ancient trees to the vibrant colors of a world seen with wonder. Reimagined through the shimmering voices of the guzheng ensemble, these familiar melodies take on a new texture and resonance, inviting the listener to experience a beloved cinematic landscape through the colors, gestures, and expressive spirit of the guzheng.