A player of many ages

Following the release of her new album, former child prodigy-turned pipa virtuoso set to tour China in October this year, Chen Nan reports.

In a whirlwind of excitement and youthful exuberance, pipa (a four-stringed Chinese lute) maestro Wu Man took center stage with the dynamic Beijing Youth Orchestra for two concerts in the capital last Friday and Saturday.

With her signature grace and passion, Wu led the orchestra through a vibrant exploration of traditional Chinese music with Zhao Jiping's Pipa Concerto No 2.

As the air filled with the sound of delicate plucking and rising and falling tones, which wove seamlessly with the orchestral tapestry, the young musicians, brimming with enthusiasm, responded with palpable eagerness, their instruments resonating with vigor alongside Wu's evocative playing.

Each moment was a celebration of creativity and collaboration. The concerts offered a preview of the orchestra's upcoming performance under conductor Lyu Jia at New York's Carnegie Hall, to be staged on Sunday.

"I've performed with lots of professional symphony orchestras from around the world. I was very surprised by performing with this orchestra of teenagers," Wu said in an interview with China Daily after a rehearsal at the National Centre for the Performing Arts on July 24. "I am particularly happy with this collaboration, where the ancient timbres of the pipa meet the orchestra's vibrant rhythms.