From Ancient to Contemporary :
The Music of Pipa
As a soloist, Fan-Qi focuses on traditional pipa repertoire, and dedicates to spread the beauty of pipa music to more and more people. Since she moved abroad from Taiwan in 2021, Fan-Qi has started her own solo program- From Ancient to Contemporary : The Music of Pipa.
From ancient to Contemporary: The Music of Pipa, which present pipa music from ancient style to modern style. During the concert/workshop, Fan-Qi will present five different styles of pipa music, namely traditional Wen style(lyrical), traditional Wu style (martial), regional music, arrangements from folk songs (1920-1960), and contemporary composition (1980-present).
This program starts with traditional repertoire and proceed step by step, leading the audience to understand the historical evolution of pipa music.
Fan-Qi has collaborated with schools, churches for solo concerts and workshops. In the program, she demonstrates different style of pipa music, from ancient to modern. She hopes to invite the audience to travel with her through the music of pipa.
無理 Wooli 우리
Wooli /無理/우리 is a musical duo consisting of Taiwanese Pipa player Fan-Qi Wu and drummer Michael Lee Sørenmo. With their combination of traditional instruments and electronic landscapes in concert, they create a sonic landscape that reflects Asian traditional music with modern improvisation and contemporary music.
This results in compositions that transcend genre boundaries and give the audience a new view of both old traditions and modern expressions.
The Wooli project is an example of how music can be a bridge between cultures and expressions.
Through their diverse collaborations and ability to challenge the boundaries of music, Wooli invites listeners to explore new soundscapes and embrace new musical experiences.
Mykorhiza
Mykorhiza is a trio that consists of Swedish pianist August Björn, Spanish vocalist Alicia Lázaro Arteaga, and Taiwanese pipa player Fan-Qi Wu. They come from the singular combination of three different musical traditions.
They draw inspiration from tradition, returning to their roots to transform them into a new sonic world. They create a breathing ecosystem through improvisation, an interwoven surface of multiple layers. The name Mykorhiza comes from the symbiotic relationship between the fungi’s mycelium and the plants’ roots. Similarly, the group creates its musical fabric, an ecosystem where the members’ different backgrounds are brought together to create a new musical organism.
圖の跡
Traditional pipa music almost always relates to natural landscapes, human figures, and scenery. When I was playing traditional pieces, I got more ideas about the interpretation of the music through the text in the score and the title of the piece, and I could better express the scenes in my mind through the pipa. When I started writing my compositions, I translated the concepts used in traditional music into lines, colors, and shapes, presenting a graphics-based approach to composition. I also used this strategy to develop my composition project, which is 圖の跡.
Most pieces have a specific framework, and clear rules tell the performers how to present themselves and their roles in the piece. But at the same time, because everyone has a different interpretation and understanding of colors, lines, and shapes, there is much flexibility in working with other players to produce different colors. Through this project, the musicians I work with can better understand my music and explore the relationship between graphics and music in greater depth.
Tremölo
Tremölo, which uses the name of the essential Pipa technique, which explores the role of pipa in different ensemble settings through free improvisation and graphic/visual-based compositions—seeking to expand new vocabularies and create a new paradigm of productive and organic dialogue with musicians from diverse backgrounds.
In the past few years, Fan-Qi has initiated collaborations and projects with international musicians in Taiwan and Sweden. Fortunately, she has been invited by many music festivals and resident organizations to participate in many cross-genre productions and performances to expand the possibilities of this project.
Fan-Qi Wu 吳凡棋 