Wu Man
California
USA Broad Fellow, Music

Wu Man is an internationally renowned pipa virtuoso. The pipa is a lutelike Chinese instrument that has a two-thousand-year history. Wu studied a classical style of pipa at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, receiving the first master’s degree in that instrument. She immigrated to the United States in 1990, at the age of 25. Wu performs traditional pipa music and also interprets specially commissioned works by composers such as Terry Riley, Philip Glass, and Tan Dun. She has performed as a soloist with many orchestras and is a principal member of Yo- Yo Ma’s Silk Road Project. Wu was the first Chinese musician to perform at the White House. A.C.

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Portrait photo courtesy Wang Shukai
Wu Man in concert; photo courtesy InSightFoto Inc.