Music for Violin and Piano, Vol. 1

Featuring

Hsiao-mei Ku
Ning Lu
Sicong Ma

Did you know?

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Interpretation

Hsiao-mei Ku, the violinist, incorporates an 'erhu-style' sound in her performance to mimic Chinese folk music and better capture the expression of Ma Sicong's musical soul.

Historical Context

During the Cultural Revolution, Ma Sicong was physically abused by Red Guards, leading him and his family to settle in the United States in the late 1960s.

Composer Biography

Ma Sicong, the composer, twice studied in France during the 1920s and 1930s, focusing first on violin and later on composition.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Ma Sicong devoted his life to creating a new national identity for Chinese music, pioneering the use of folk idioms and incorporating fragments from folk tunes into his compositions.

Performer Biography

Hsiao-mei Ku, the violinist on this album, was one of a few talented young musicians selected for professional training at the Central Conservatory in Beijing after nationwide auditions at age ten.

Compositional Technique

Ma Sicong's extensive musical output includes symphonies, concertos, chamber music, operas, ballet music, and vocal works, with his violin music considered among his most important contributions.

Composer Biography

Ma Sicong held prestigious positions in China, including President of the Conservatory of Music in Guangzhou and the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing.