HomeAt Kholn (Germany) with the XIII-21 Ensemble, December,25 2006
Master Class at Beijing's conservatory
Born in Xi’an, former capital of the Empire during the Tang dynasty (618-907), she studied the pipa with her mother Guo Xiuzhen then in the Xi’an and Beijing music conservatories. Her talent was early remarked and she awarded national prizes, of which the Central Television award.
She has given many concerts in China, Hong-Kong, Macao and in Europe.
Pipa-soloist of the "Shaanxi Song and Dance Ensemble", she has particularly participated in 85 and 90 to many representations across Japan. She played for the Emperor and Empress of Japan during their visit of China in 1992.
In Paris, she was invited for a solo concert at the “ Théâtre de la Ville” and at “Radio-France” where a C.D. has been recorded under Ocora label.
She regularly plays within the traditional Chinese music ensemble “Fleur de Prunus” directed by François Picard and within the baroque ensemble “XVIII-21” of Jean-Christophe Frisch.
She also plays contemporary music : creation of “Noich” by Fabien Tehericsen with the Quatuor Arditti, creation at The Louvre of a piece of Xu Yi with the "2E2M" ensemble, belgium creation of the pipa and orchestra concerto of Tan Dun with the "Ensemble Musiques Nouvelles". In year 2002, she played in China with the Cergy-Pontoise Conservatory ensemble.
Wang Weiping composes herself some pieces putting in value the capabilities of her instrument.
She came to France to study lyric singing with Xin RuFeng and Alain Rigo at the “Ecole Normale de Musique” (Paris).
"Like the antic princess Wang Zhaojun who, exiled after the Great Wall, accompanying herself with the pipa, song the nostalgia of her mother land, Wang Weiping put her elaborated technique at the service of the greater musicality. Interpreting the thousand old pieces which resounded in the imperial court, she evokes the tumult of the wars as well as the odes to the moon light. She is also a remarkable singer, as expressive with Cantonese songs of the thirties as in the works celebrating the Nature, composed by the Tang dynasty poets." (François Picard)
Pipa lute
The Pipa is a lute with four strings. It is played in solo since the Tang Dynasty. The utilization of harmonics, tapings and rolling with the right hand in order to make the tremolos characteristic of the pipa, give a great range of timbers to the instrument. The frets located on the handle and the harmonic table, allow lateral displacements of the cords, creating rich ornaments games, providing very particular attracts to the instrument. The pipa, certainly originated from Central Asia, was in the earlier times played in private circles of amateurs and has a very rich repertory. The first notations date from the end of the Xth century, and then are multiplying since the end of the XVIIIth century. Several schools are developing, like the North School whom one of the great masters, LIU Dehai was the professor of Wang Weiping.
