| I felt touched but unable to express myself | | | | |
| in words. It seemed like listening to a story | | | | Growing up in Shanghai, Ms. Qi began learning |
| that moved every parts of my heart. I even | | | | to play this difficult instrument at the age |
| wanted to ask, what happened after that? when | | | | of six, taught by a friend of her father's. |
| the music finished. | | | | She was later accepted to the Shanghai Music |
| | | | Conservatory and won an award at the Chinese |
| That's how I felt when Ms. Qi Xiaochun played | | | | National Erhu Competition. She has also |
| her instrument, the erhu, at a Chinese New | | | | played at the Hollywood Bowl, but her most |
| Year Show sponsored by New Tang Dynasty | | | | memorable performances have been at the New |
| Televison (NTDTV) last January. | | | | Tang Dynasty television network's (NTDTV) |
| | | | Chinese New Year spectaculars. |
| The erhu, sometimes known in the West as the | | | | |
| Chinese violin or Chinese two string fiddle, | | | | In addition to performing, Ms. Qi also |
| is a two-stringed bowed musical instrument. | | | | teaches the erhu. "When learning to play the |
| The instrument looks so simple that I even | | | | erhu," she says, "people must develop basic |
| tried to build an Erhu when I was about 12 | | | | skills first. The music, however, comes from |
| years old. Of course, the sound quality was | | | | the person's character. People carry their |
| not good at all, but I really loved it for a | | | | own things into the music. What they want to |
| while. | | | | express, and also the person as a whole, is |
| | | | expressed through the music. As an artist, |
| The erhu can be traced back to instruments | | | | your moral character will also determine your |
| introduced into China more than a thousand | | | | skill." |
| years ago. It started to be popular in | | | | |
| Southern China during the Sung Dynasty | | | | This idea is reflected throughout ancient |
| (960-1279 AD), where it was called "Nan-hu", | | | | Chinese culture, whether in painting, martial |
| Nan meaning south in Chinese. | | | | arts, or poetry-in order to cultivate talent, |
| | | | one must cultivate the whole person. Ms. Qi |
| Nowadays the erhu often plays an important | | | | finds this philosophy is also also present in |
| role in national orchestras. In smaller | | | | NTDTV's performances. She hopes that when |
| orchestras, there are usually two to six erhu | | | | people see the show, they will not only be |
| players, in larger ones, 10 to 12. In fact, | | | | entertained, but will also experience |
| in Chinese orchestras the erhu plays the part | | | | something about the deeper qualities these |
| the violin does in Western orchestras. Like | | | | ancient Chinese arts can bring to people. In |
| the Western violin, the erhu is renowned for | | | | Ms. Qi's opinion, it is simple: "pure |
| its expressiveness and is often said to echo | | | | compassion, pure beauty. |
| the human voice. | | | | |