I'd never heard of the yangqin, 18th century Chinese stringed instrument, until this past Sunday on April 11, 2021, when I had the pleasure of hearing music master Wenzhuo Zhang perform on it in a virtual concert.
Wenzhuo, a Chinese native, began her training on the yangqin she was only 5. At 13, Wenzhuo (win) a scholarship to the Arts School of Hebei Province; the (high) competitive program only accepted a single yangqin student every two years. After graduation, she placed first in nationwide auditions and (admit) into the National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts in Beijing, she was awarded her bachelor's in yangqin performance in 2005.
Wenzhuo performed four pieces, three tracing their (origin) to centuries old Chinese composers, and one from the modern era. Needless to say, Wenzhuo's performances sounded gorgeous. The yangqin is a unique and beautiful instrument and its sound, (combine) with Wenzhuo's musical ability, allowed the four greatly different pieces to stand together. I believe it serves a wonderful introduction to the instrument.
It was (fascinate) to learn about the yangqin and a joy to watch Wenzhuo perform on it from the comfort of my home. It was really quite a relief from my daily care.
