Wu Fei facts for kids

Wu Fei (born May 12, 1977) is a talented Chinese American musician. She is a composer, performer, and improviser from Beijing, China. Wu Fei plays the guzheng, which is an old Chinese instrument with 21 strings, like a zither. She also sings. She lives in Nashville, USA. Wu Fei has written music for many different styles, including choirs, string groups, and even for films and modern dance.

Wu Fei's Life and Music Journey

Wu Fei was born in Beijing, China. She studied music at the China Conservatory of Music until 2000. After that, she moved to the United States and continued her studies at Mills College. There, she earned a master's degree in Composition in 2004.

Her main goal in music has been to make the traditional guzheng sound new and exciting. She does this by using modern ways of playing and improvising. While living in New York, she worked with many other musicians who liked to explore new sounds. She has teamed up with famous artists like John Zorn, Fred Firth, Gyan Riley, and Abigail Washburn.

What are some of Wu Fei's notable performances?

Wu Fei has been part of many important music events around the world. In October 2008, she helped organize events at The Stone, a music venue in New York City. A music DVD called "Shan Qi" was released in 2009. It was filmed in the Italian Alps and featured Wu Fei and other European musicians.

In March 2011, Wu Fei performed live on her guzheng and sang at a fashion show in Paris. From 2018 to 2019, Wu Fei was a special composer for the chatterbird music group in Nashville, Tennessee.

Where has Wu Fei toured and performed?

Wu Fei has traveled and performed all over the world. Some of her major performances include concerts at the Forbidden City Concert Hall in Beijing and at EXPO 2010 in Shanghai. She has also played at big music festivals like the North Sea Jazz Festival in the Netherlands and the Big Ears Festival in Tennessee.

Musical Collaborations

Wu Fei often works with other musicians to create unique sounds.

Working with Fred Frith

Fred Frith is an English musician and composer who taught Wu Fei at Mills College. Wu Fei played on several of his albums, including Eye to Ear II (2004), The Happy End Problem (2006), and Eye to Ear III (2010). She also contributed to his music for the documentary film Thirst.

Collaborating with Gyan Riley

Wu Fei and Gyan Riley (born 1977) are both trained in classical music. They also enjoy trying out different styles of improvisation. Their music combines ideas from jazz, Indian raga, and Chinese, Spanish, and Western classical music.

Music with Abigail Washburn

Wu Fei and Abigail Washburn (born 1977) have known each other since 2006. Abigail Washburn is a Grammy-winning singer and banjo player from Nashville. Her music often mixes traditional American Appalachian songs with Chinese folk tunes. Because Abigail has studied Chinese culture, their performances are a mix of different languages and instruments.

Their musical partnership started with a concert in Beijing in 2011, as a group called The Wu-Force. This group includes Wu Fei, Abigail Washburn, and Kai Welch. Their first album together, Wu Fei & Abigail Washburn (2020), combines American and Chinese folk songs. It features music from the Appalachian mountains and the Xinjiang region of China.

Selected Musical Works

Wu Fei has created many interesting musical pieces.

• "Hello Gold Mountain" is a piece for a chamber orchestra. It was first performed on February 23, 2019. This work was inspired by Jewish refugees who traveled from Europe to Shanghai and then to San Francisco. Wu Fei used her own experiences to write music for the chatterbird group. The piece features the sounds of the oud (a Middle Eastern instrument) and the guzheng, representing 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 "multicultural song of life and hope."

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

Discography (Music Albums)

Here are some of the albums Wu Fei has released:

• A Distant Youth – Released in September 2007 by Forrest Hill Records (Italy). This was Wu Fei's first solo album. It also features Fred Frith on guitar, Carla Kihlstedt on violin, and Helge Andreas Norbakken on percussion.

• Yuan – Released in November 2008 by Tzadik Records (US). This album features Wu Fei's compositions for chamber music. A major piece from this album, "She Huo-社火", was first performed at the Forbidden City Concert Hall in Beijing in 2007.

• Pluck – Released in December 2011 by Pluck Duo (US). Pluck was a music duo formed by Wu Fei (guzheng and vocals) and Gyan Riley (guitar). They performed together in New York City in 2011.

As a Guest Musician

Wu Fei has also played on albums by other artists:

• Fred Frith: Eye to Ear II – 2004, Tzadik Records (US)
• Fred Frith: The Happy End Problem – December 2006
• Various artists: Shan Qi (DVD) – November 2009, Ozella Music (Germany)
• Fred Frith: Eye to Ear III – November 2010, Tzadik Records (US)
• Abigail Washburn: City of Refuge – January 11, 2011, Rounder Records (US)
• Fred Frith: Clearing Customs – February 2011, Intakt Records (Switzerland)

Selected Awards and Honors

Wu Fei has received several awards for her musical talents:

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

See also

In Spanish: Wu Fei para niños