Wu Fei facts for kids

Wu Fei (Chinese: 吴非; pinyin: Wú Fēi, born May 12, 1977) is an amazing Chinese American musician. She is a composer, performer, and improviser from Beijing, China. Wu Fei plays the Chinese guzheng, which is an ancient instrument like a zither with 21 strings. She also sings! Today, she lives in Nashville, USA. Wu Fei has written music for many different groups. These include choirs, string quartets, and even film music.

Wu Fei's Journey

Wu Fei was born in Beijing, China. She studied music at the China Conservatory of Music until the year 2000. Later, she went to Mills College and earned a special degree in music in 2004. Her main goal in music is to make the traditional guzheng sound new and exciting. She uses modern ways of playing and creating music on the guzheng.

In New York City, Wu Fei worked with many other creative musicians. She teamed up with famous artists like John Zorn and Fred Frith. She also worked with Gyan Riley and Abigail Washburn.

Wu Fei has performed at many cool places and events.

• In 2008, she helped organize music events at The Stone in New York City.
• In 2009, a music DVD called "Shan Qi" came out. It was filmed in the beautiful Italian Alps.
• In 2011, Wu Fei played her guzheng and sang at a Hermès fashion show in Paris.
• From 2018 to 2019, she was a special composer for a group called chatterbird in Nashville.

Wu Fei has traveled all over the world to perform. Some of her big shows include:

• The Forbidden City Concert Hall in Beijing.
• EXPO 2010 in Shanghai.
• The North Sea Jazz Festival in the Netherlands.
• The Big Ears Festival in Tennessee.

Musical Friends

Wu Fei loves to create music with other artists. Here are some of her important collaborations:

Fred Frith

Fred Frith is a musician from England. He plays many instruments and taught Wu Fei at Mills College. Wu Fei played on some of Fred Frith's albums. These include Eye to Ear II (2004) and The Happy End Problem (2006).

Gyan Riley

Wu Fei and Gyan Riley were both trained in classical music. But they also love to improvise and create new sounds. They mix different music styles, like jazz, Indian music, and Chinese music.

Abigail Washburn

Wu Fei and Abigail Washburn have been friends since 2006. Abigail is a Grammy-winning singer and banjo player from Nashville. She often mixes traditional American folk songs with Chinese folk tunes. Abigail has studied Chinese culture, which makes their shows very special. They perform in different languages and play many instruments.

Their musical journey started with a group called The Wu-Force in Beijing in 2011. The Wu-Force includes Wu Fei, Abigail Washburn, and Kai Welch. Their first album, Wu Fei & Abigail Washburn (2020), mixes American and Chinese folk songs.

Special Music Pieces

• "Hello Gold Mountain" is a piece for a small orchestra. It was first performed in 2019. This music was inspired by Jewish people who moved from Europe to Shanghai and then to San Francisco. Wu Fei used her own experiences to write this piece. It features the oud (a Middle Eastern instrument) and the guzheng. These instruments represent the Jewish and Chinese voices. Wu Fei said she wanted to write music that could have come from the mix of Jewish culture in Shanghai. People have called it a "song of life and hope."

• "Four Seasons" is a duet for guzheng and banjo. Wu Fei and Abigail Washburn perform it together. It's part of a show where they play traditional Appalachian and Chinese music.

Music Albums

Here are some albums Wu Fei has released:

• A Distant Youth – This was Wu Fei's first solo album, released in 2007. It also features Fred Frith on guitar.

• Yuan – This album came out in 2008. It was produced by John Zorn. One big song on this album, "She Huo," was first played in Beijing in 2007.

• Pluck – This album was released in 2011. It's from a duo called Pluck, made up of Wu Fei (guzheng and vocals) and Gyan Riley (guitar). They performed together in New York City.

As a Guest Musician

Wu Fei has also played on other artists' albums:

• Fred Frith: Eye to Ear II – 2004
• Fred Frith: The Happy End Problem – 2006
• Various artists: Shan Qi (DVD) – 2009
• Fred Frith: Eye to Ear III – 2010
• Abigail Washburn: City of Refuge – 2011

Awards and Honors

Wu Fei has received many awards for her amazing music:

• Best World Music Artist in 2008 by Westword.
• Her album "Yuan" was named Best Album of The Week by Alarm Magazine in 2008.
• She received a Composer Fellowship from the Montalvo Arts Center in 2009.
• The DVD "Shan Qi" was nominated for a German music award in 2009.
• Wu Fei and chatterbird won Best Genre-Defying Classical Performance in Nashville in 2017.
• She received a MAP Fund Award for "Hello Gold Mountain" in 2018.