Lu Xiaozi – improvisations on Guqin

As my roommate in the dorm was a student of the guqin I was lucky to learn from him many details about this music, the style, the performance practice and philosophy behind it. This is the instrument of the literati, one of the most potent and influential elite social groups throughout Chinese history. The art of Qin music is one of the four pillars of Chinese culture: philosophy, calligraphy, poetry and Qin music. The musician, Lu Xiaozi, a student of master Dai Xiaolian, recently finished her masters studies and won a first prize in the Chinese Guqin competition. The instrument is from the Tang dinasty and is around 800 years old.