Wu Man

Recognised as the world’s premier pipa virtuoso and leading ambassador of Chinese music, Grammy Award-nominated musician Wu Man has carved out a career as a soloist, educator and composer giving her lute-like instrument – (which has a history of over 2,000 years in China) – a new role in both traditional and contemporary music. Having been brought up in the Pudong School of pipa playing, Wu Man is now recognised as an outstanding exponent of the traditional repertoire as well as a leading interpreter of contemporary pipa music by today’s most prominent composers. Wu Man’s efforts were recognised when she was named Musical America’s 2013 Instrumentalist of the Year, the first time this prestigious award has been bestowed on a player of a non-Western instrument. Wu Man performed with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra for the world premiere of Zhao Jiping’s Concerto for Pipa and Orchestra, the U.S. premiere of the piece with the Santa Rosa Symphony, and went on to perform the concerto with the Buffalo, Fresno, and Louisiana philharmonic orchestras, and the Hartford and Illinois symphonies. She was a featured performer with the Kronos Quartet at their 40th Anniversary Celebration concert at Carnegie Hall, and performed solo recitals at Cal Performances and at Wigmore Hall in the United Kingdom. She also continues to tour with the Silk Road Ensemble and serve as part of the ensemble’s leadership team. Born in Hangzhou, China, Wu Man became the first recipient of a master’s degree in pipa at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing.  Wu man moved to the U.S. in 1990 and currently resides in California.