PCM: You are having a question & answer after your show in Philadelphia. What are you asked most?

Wu Man: Am I? I didn’t know that. I know I will be doing a school program in the morning.

PCM: Elementary school?

Wu Man: Yes

PCM: What questions are you asked the most?

Wu Man: Depends, grown ups are interested in my back ground, my education They want to know about the pipa history and my life in China. Kids ask how much I practice, how long does it take to get to the concert stage and how much money I have. It’s very cute.

PCM: You are premiering two works in Philadelphia.

Wu Man: Yes, I am going to premiere a piece by Eric Moe. He did a pre-recording which will be totally differed instrument with, percussion and vocals. Kind of African style. The pipa voice will go in a different direction.

I will also premiere, and this is a world premiere, Pipa with Calligraphy and Video. It is the bigger piece with three movements. It is based on a poem from poet Li Bai. The video will be very dramatic, different character, different mood it will be the second half of the program. It was written by Composer Chen Yi and myself. I am looking forward to it, I am very excited.

PCM: It’s important to introduce new pieces.

Wu Man: I work with Chinese composers most of the time and premier their pieces. Why I’m doing it is like you said, to expand the instrument, not to just have twenty classical pieces. That’s why I want to create more literature for the instrument. Since I am living in the States I have been working more with non Chinese composers. They are really enthusiastic and want to learn this instrument. You play the instrument you know the sound is so different, like different colors for a painter or a painter finding a new color. So a lot of composers want to use this instrument, want to write something. I’m working with a lot of American composers, Terry Riley just a premiered a quintet with Kronos. Philip Glass wrote a concerto where the pipa is leading instrument. He also wrote for the Phillip Glass Orchestra, a theater piece where the pipa is the lead instrument.

I am curious to see non Chinese composers, how they write for the Pipa. Most of their reality is very natural because they don’t know the background. They don’t have the heavy history of the instrument so they can write whatever they feel. So its very natural. It’s like a Chinese composer writing for the piano or Ballet.

PCM: I can’t wait until you concert.

Thank you for this interview.

Wu Man: Thank you.

Can I ask you, what piece are you working on?

PCM: I am working on Dance of the Yi People.

Wu Man: That is my favorite piece. I will be playing that in Philadelphia. I will also play Ambush.