Hsiao-mei Ku, the violinist on this album, played for Chinese leaders like Premier Zhou En-lai and President Deng Xiao-ping, and first appeared on Chinese television at age eleven.
Composer Biography
Ma Sicong, the Chinese composer and violinist, was among the few Chinese musicians of his generation to study abroad, including at the Nancy Conservatoire and in Paris.
Performer Biography
Hsiao-mei Ku's musical training was interrupted during her teens by years of 're-education' in rural China, where her violin was locked away during the Cultural Revolution.
Historical Context
Ma Sicong's career in China ended with the Cultural Revolution, during which he suffered greatly and eventually escaped to America in 1967.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Ma Sicong's compositions consistently combine Chinese inspiration with the Western musical techniques he was trained in.
Historical Context
Ma Sicong was invited by the new Communist government to return to China after 1949 and was appointed director of the Central Conservatory in Beijing.
Interpretation
Hsiao-mei Ku incorporates an 'erhu-style' sound in her playing to mimic Chinese folk music and capture the expression of Ma Sicong's musical soul.
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